Hump Day. Otherwise known as Wednesday. It’s smack dab in the middle of the traditional work week and means we’re halfway home. The weekend is in sight from Hump Day. On Monday & Tuesday, the weekend is nowhere to be found. Apparently on Wednesday we need a little boost, a lift, some type of help in order to see that Saturday & Sunday are, indeed, on the horizon. Hence, the hump. It’s akin to a child being raised up into the arms of mom or onto the shoulders of dad in order to see the passing parade. I frequently did this for my son when he was a child, especially at Disneyland, so he wouldn’t miss the Lion King and cast of jungle characters marching down Main Street.
Hump Day has a nice “ring” to it. View Day does not, even though it is applicable. “Hey! I can see the weekend from here! Let’s call Wednesday….View Day!” View Day was a lead balloon. It never caught on. It never flew, thankfully. I’m wondering how camels feel about Hump Day. Is it an honor or an insult? Too late now. Been calling Wednesday Hump Day since 1965. The moniker is sticking. Camels did not have much of a voice back then.
The work week reminds me of a roller coaster. Monday & Tuesday climb ever so slowly to the top of the tracks. We want the coaster car to go faster! We have anticipation of the coming thrills, to what awaits us on the weekend. Mondays certainly don’t do that for us. Ergo the song title, “Rainy Days & Mondays Always Get Me Down.” It was NOT entitled “Mondays Always Get Me Up Smiling and Dancing The Jig In the Hallways”, and for good reason. On Monday, folks are still hanging onto the weekend. The snooze button gets hit an extra time (or two) and thumped extra hard. The weekend is the topic first thing at the office. “How was your weekend?”, or “Let me tell you what happened this weekend!” Convo about it is proof we’re not yet ready to let it go. Sunday still visible in the rear view. Some folks, younger ones, of course, didn’t even go to bed on Sunday night. Tuesday. Tuesday is like, well…it’s like a Monday hangover. Just starting to get back into the work groove. One good thing about Tuesday…we get to eat tacos!
Then comes Wednesday. It is the work week’s plateau. The mid-point. 2 days in the books, 2 days to go. Two days spent climbing, one day to rest for a bit before two days of sliding into the weekend, coasting downhill to Saturday and Sunday. So, from Hump Day we accelerate and drop into Thursday. We gain velocity, our momentum hurtling us into Friday which prepares us for a few loop-de-loops, A.K.A., Saturday & Sunday. Increased speed and the twists & turns get our hearts pounding. Exhilarating! Makes Monday thru Hump Day worthwhile. Maybe THIS is what the person was thinking who first said that life was like a roller coaster!
Here’s a question for you: Why do we need a “Hump Day” anyway? I’m guessing it’s a psychological thing. According to Gallup, 70% of people hate their jobs. Wednesdays let us know that we have “made it over the hump”, and are nearing the weekend. Ahhh…Saturday & Sunday. The non-work day twins. Two “me” days. Two days without The Boss and two days where WE are the boss. So perhaps saying to a fellow work colleague, “Hey Biff. Happy Hump Day!”, provides an emotional lift. Extends encouragement. Is a reminder to keep plugging away cuz freedom is around the corner!
Along with Hump Day, we have Taco Tuesday and Thank God it’s Friday. But what about Monday & Thursday…shouldn’t they also have their own nickname? It would balance things out. In today’s world of fairness, where everyone gets a trophy and hurt feelings are avoided like the plague, I think it’s high time Monday & Thursday get some recognition. They are 40% of the team, after all. They ARE deserving. I cannot think of a legit reason they should be alias-free.
For Monday…since the weekend is really, really far away, how about Long-Neck Monday? Hump Day is symbolized by the camel. Long-Neck Monday could have a giraffe as its spokesanimal. I doubt the giraffes will complain. It’d be a good gig, especially since Toys “R” Us went out of business. Anybody seen Geoffrey lately? Restaurants sell beer in long neck bottles. They’d sell a lot more by marketing Long-Neck Monday.
That leaves Thursday. Thursday is the last part of the path that leads directly to the weekend. It stops at Friday’s door. It’s similar to stopping at 3rd base before getting to home plate. Ballplayers slide into third, so how about Slider Thursday? Sliders are on the appetizer menu of most eateries and are featured as a happy hour item. “Slide into the weekend with some tasty sliders on Slider Thursday!” Again, could be a marketing coup.
Standing on the sidewalk with my son on my shoulders, waiting to see Simba, Nala and Rafiki parade by for the 100th time, he asked, “Hey dad? What is that over there?” I followed his little finger to see where he was pointing. I replied, “What day is it today….Wednesday? Oh, okay, that…..THAT’s the weekend, son. You can’t see it on Long-Neck Monday or Taco Tuesday. You have to wait until Hump Day to see it. It’s an awesome sight, isn’t it?! It’s even more appealing on Slider Thursday or TGI Friday! You’ll love it when you get tall enough to see it on your own. It’s 48 hours of freedom!” I let my eyes linger for a few more seconds on that beautiful sight, then mouthed the words, “Thank God for Hump Day!”