A friend asked, “If you could bring back any tradition that seems to have faded into the past, what tradition would you bring back?” The thought process of sorting out traditions that had come and gone created an interesting concept. What is tradition? Google says a tradition is society’s practices, as handed down from generation to generation. The tradition I chose had once been powerful, but saw its value slowly diminish; and the public willingly watched its demise. The advance of technology, plus an enhanced marketplace, coupled with the public’s boredom, slowly but surely, caused the kidnapping of Sunday.
The one day a week possibility for a family dinner was out the window. The idea of having friends over for an afternoon is kaput. The outrageous concept of doing nothing for a day has become unacceptable. What happened to the activity of watching the paint dry? The art of relaxation did not come easy to America in the 60s. We were driven to keep busy, make good use of your time; don’t just sit around, get off your butt! Do something, even if it’s wrong!
I haven’t even touched on Sunday as Sabbath; ancient Scripture dictates the proposition of keeping the Sabbath holy. (God rested, so can you) That was an easy objection for retail to overcome; they would open their stores at noon, so as to allow their employees to attend morning services. That caveat lasted for a couple of weeks; then the stores open at 10 AM. Ask retail employees how they feel about working on Sundays. I’m willing to bet that their response will be, I HATE WORKING ON SUNDAYS! Ask them a further question; what would you do if you didn’t have to work on Sundays? Responses would include; I be home with my family, or my kids, or I’d visit my brother, or I’d take a boat ride, and on and on.
The workforce is on an accelerated pace; the idea of stopping for one day seems foreign. The workforce has been programmed for a dual lifestyle; to work and consume. Leisure time (is there such a thing?) has evolved into an attitude of shop till you drop; with Sunday becoming the prime day to exercise that skill. The home furnishing brochure advertises colorful clocks for eight dollars, and recommends that you have one in every room. “Oh I love these draperies! I’ve got to have these! Do you like them Stanley?” Stanley, checking out the MP3 players, mutters ascent, and the purchase is consummated. The twins, Benjamin and Bridget, approach Stanley; their little arms loaded with sweatpants, digital cameras and the latest high-end Nikes. This is what passes for family activity on a normal Sunday.
Arriving back at home, Blanche exclaims that the draperies she loves will not match the carpet that she despises. (Guess what we’re going to do next Sunday?) Stanley is out the door with his golf clubs; the twins are in their room playing video games, or Facebook or twitter, and Blanche is on the phone with her sister complaining that the family doesn’t talk anymore.
STOP! CEASE AND DESIST! TURN OFF THE TREADMILL SWITCH! LET’S TALK!!
In January 2015, I plan to introduce legislation that will force all national retailers to close on Sundays!! It’s radical I know, but it’s a concept whose time has come. There are more pluses than minuses! Read on as I dictate how the Sunday closing would play itself out. Number one, you are going to make millions of workers ecstatically happy; millions of happy faces just milling around, churning with new ideas about what to do with their free time. The feelings of these former Sunday employees are not unlike prisoners just released from incarceration. America, as a nation, will have a chance to pause, take a deep breath, and collect itself.
Let’s set aside the euphoria for a moment, and deal with the realities of retail closing on Sundays. The retail mindset will scream LOST SALES! They are not lost at all; they are merely rearranged. Sunday’s sales will simply occur on Friday night and all day Saturday. The former Sunday employees, all of them part-time, will be happy to work on Friday night and Saturday to handle the expanded shopping crowd. Another plus for retail would be the 15% across the board cut of store expenses by being closed on Sunday, i.e. AC, lights, security, and staff. That 15% slash would enhance the gross profit, and summarily increase the bottom line financial gain.
Retailers have to remember that customers, like children, are trainable. They will be perfectly happy to shop during whatever hours the retailers stipulate. Once these new hours; sans Sunday, are posted in their TV commercials and print media, the informed buying public will adjust their schedules accordingly. Another benefit from Sunday closings will be the tremendous reduction of automobile traffic on the inner-city highways going to and from shopping centers. It will extend the life of every non shopping vehicle; gas, tires, not to mention the exposure to the hazard of an accident on the crowded highways and shopping center parking lots. Cities and counties will save revenue by not having to pay law enforcement officials an expensive time differential for working on Sundays.
The more time conscious consumer will be inclined to exercise more judgment about his purchases. Rather than shopping as an excuse to get away from the house, the consumer will be more concerned with what he buys to bring into the house. He may reconsider buying a colorful clock for every room. City and County neighborhood associations will plan more interesting activities, now that there are people in the neighborhood who might attend these functions. It’s difficult for communities to compete with Macy’s, when they’re having a, buy one get one free sale on Argyle socks. Take away the Argyle temptation, and the family might attend a free concert.
Some businesses and services may not choose to participate in the program. Hospitals, resorts, hotels, and drugstores by their very nature would remain open; as would theaters and convenience stores. These commercial enterprises had their hours and days of operation set in stone many years ago.
Just imagine, a day off in which to do, what? That’s where the fun comes in; the rediscovery of leisure; the unlocking of the time bank with hours to spend anyway we choose. It will take some adjustment; leisure to one person may be watching Sunday football, another may try out a new fried chicken recipe; yet another grabs a good book and a glass of wine. The possibilities for new endeavors are endless and mind blowing.
As I mentioned at the onset, I will be introducing legislation to get the ball rolling. I anticipate a heated battle in Congress as this bill works its way through our legislative system. In the final analysis, for this Sunday miracle to come about, the big-box stores have to be involved, since all the little stores have to go along with what the big guys dictate. The millions of employees who will be affected by this bill are at the lower end of the wage scale; with most of them earning minimum wage or slightly above. The strange dichotomy emerges with Wal-Mart, the leader, with four of its family members solidly entrenched with the 10 richest people in America. That makes an interesting parallel in basic dollars and cents. I seriously doubt that the Wal-Mart family dynamic would be threatened by a nickel or dime either way, if their stores closed on Sunday.
It would be interesting to see if proposition Sunday were ever put out on a popular vote ballot, what the results might be. The possibility that millions of voters who are Sunday workers, might vote to close down the place of business that employs them, would be the ultimate farce. Debates on both sides; retail predicting economic ruin; Sunday employees fighting for the possibility of freedom, would certainly get the attention of the American people.
If the introduction of this bill produces even a modicum of interest in the population at large; it may be time to get the fast food outlets onboard. Let’s face it; Chick-fil-A is a very successful fast food operation, and has never been open on Sunday. Mickey D’s, Burger King, et al could take leadership positions on this issue and make it happen.
All this effort is to make America harken back to a simpler time. Sunday could become a time when Stanley and Blanche take a stroll down a wooded lane. It might also be the time when their son Benjamin, the evil twin, learns how to make a pipe bomb in his bedroom. It’s not going to solve all the problems, but it might give us time to examine them, evaluate them, and dispose of them. It may also be the time to consider starting a boy’s band. Sid, get Prof. Harold Hill on the phone.