Labor Day???

I eavesdrop a lot. Well, it’s not really eavesdropping; I just hear extremely well. As a writer, this “skill” is a tool that aids me in understanding people: the things they do and how they interact with others. It’s annoying at times, though. Sometimes I feel like Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty hearing all of the world’s problems at once. Who wants to hear strangers trade STD stories?

The other day, I “overheard” a couple teenagers talking:
Kid 1: I’m glad it’s a three day weekend; feel me?
Kid 2: Yeah, for real. I’m tired of school already. What’s Monday? Why it ain’t no school?
Kid 1: I think it’s Labor Day or sumthin; feel me?
Kid 2: Labor Day? What’s that shit about?
Kid 1: I think it’s to celebrate when women be pregnant and it’s hard to have dem babies, so they go into labor; feel me?
Kid 2: True, true.

My first thought: These are some dumb ass kids.
Second thought: That’s some rather creative reasoning.
Third thought: No, I don’t feel you.
Forth thought: What the hell is Labor Day?

I consider myself a pretty learned individual. I tend to think I could at least make it to Jeopardy’s Final Round with $100 left. And you don’t wanna see me in Taboo. So, I know that Labor Day has to do with celebrating the work force and unionized labor; feel me? Ooops. But I still don’t get the point of celebrating Labor day.

Why the national holiday? Everyone isn’t in a union. Hell, how many people wish they had a job so they could get Labor Day off? And how about the percentage of the workforce that lose money by having the day off?

Really, isn’t the day just another reason to have a BBQ? I’m not complaining, because you can never have too many reasons to have BBQs. My friend has a BBQ every time his HIV test comes back negative. He hasn’t had one this year, though. I hope it’s just the economy.
Labor day was established in 1882 in support of an eight hour work day, as opposed to the 12-hour days commonly worked.

Other major events in 1882:
False teeth were patented.
Chinese Exclusion Act was signed, preventing Chinese immigration.
The real Hatfields and McCoys feud. Over a hundred people wounded and killed.
Blacks were being lynched at an astronomical rate.

Why are we holding on to this archaic holiday? Get rid of it. While you’re at it, get rid of a few more holidays as well.

Columbus Day – We should all celebrate him. He was should a fine, upstanding individual.
President’s Day – I don’t get it. Yeah, I commemorate a shrine to Washington and Lincoln on that day. No, I don’t just sleep until noon and go to the mall.
Halloween – After about 12 years old, anyone wearing a costume should be detained and evaluated, unless she’s a woman and the costume is extremely revealing.

Everyone always talks about the state of education in the U.S. Well, maybe if the kids were actually in school instead of always out for some bullshit holiday, they would know more. Feel me?

Oh, and I’ll wear white whenever I feel like it.