Howdy,
And happy Monday.
There’s a line for breaking through potential writer’s block. “Happy Monday.”
At first I wanted it to sound like, “Howdy, and Happy Monday!”
But since I’ve been opening with “Howdy” as my greeting for each post, mostly just for fun — not totally sure why, to be honest; other than for some reason being Billy Hawes, Six Shooter to some and that nod to Mariposa — I had to break up the “Howdy” and the “And happy Monday.”
I never had Happy capitalized, but that’s the emphasis I envisioned. Which is why initially I ended “And happy Monday” with an exclamation point. “… happy Monday!”
And that’s what got me thinking there’s mighty potential for shattering writer’s block with that line. Didn’t even have time for writer’s block on this post, though I admit it’s starting to feeling like a Dr. Seuss challenge in which he took a $50 bet with his publisher that he could write one of his children’s books with only 37 words or something crazy like that (it’s 50 distinct words for Green Eggs and Ham, and he just masterfully repeated, flipped, and reworked words and phrases; showing how words could dance, like the Dr. always did. We’ll see what I can keep getting out of “Howdy, and happy Monday.”
The potential?
“And Happy Monday!” could sound like a slap in the face; a jeer from a jerk! Which is a sad statement about our work weeks, or the majority of our lives, kicking off the five out of seven days being a downer and a mention of it representing anything from a slight or a slap. Jon Acuff, and many others of course, writes a lot about how to love Mondays from a business perspective, a life perspective. Having a purpose worth enjoying fighting for, because it’s also true that “happy Monday!” can be a fight.
However, what’s wrong with a bountiful and bounding greeting even if it does include a resounding “Happy Monday!”?
That’s what I wanted to write: a Happy Howdy. My intention with “And Happy Monday!” was simply an excitement to be together again and to say hi with energy and encouragement. I wanted to write … what?
This is what I wanted to write: a SMILE!
Why did I get that check in my spirit? I could hear it.
Why does a smiling man on a Monday carry a sneering smirk when a workforce picks its head up to glance over?
Is it only my perspective? Then why was I the one who wanted to give the abundant greeting?
Is it our culture? That seems to keep coming up as a pain; and disconcerting. We’re in it though. Work culture. Life culture. Culture culture.
I hope you’ve got a job, a passion, a purpose, a God-given joy, a thing that wears you out and exhausts you (like being a parent to my young sons), that makes you work hard enough to make you want to slap a smile onto that “Happy Monday!”
For the most that don’t, and just to keep the frustrated fist fights down, we’ll compromise, and I’ll send out a reserved, “Howdy, and happy Monday.”
And I can still encourage. Tomorrow, we’ll be one day closer to Friday. Thank goodness! TGIF!!
Ah, and one day closer to our last breath.
Something to think about as we live today.
I’ve changed my mind. “Happy Monday!”
Even if its potential is a fist fight. Between a smile and a smirk.
—Billy
Reading. Writing. Living.
P.S. Due, unfortunately, to a “Buck Fever” aimed shot at a Bull Elk while being in the presence of my fun-loving uncles, I’m also known to some in Montana as Billy, Butt Shot. I should strike that whole thing, Billy, Butt Shot, so I can go with Mariposa over Montana when it comes to monikers: Billy Hawes, Six Shooter. It takes a certain inflection, but said right, with gusto, it’s pretty cool. Makes me smile.
Please subscribe to mailing list for the Reading Writing Living journey we’re on and get the goodies that’ll come from time to time with my newsletter. Thank you.