Saturdays: an ode

Saturday is by far the best day of the week. Not a single twenty four hour period can hold a sun rise or set to the final day of the week. Never forget Sundays are the traditional start of the week. Sneaky but consistent, month after month. Go ahead, call it Satuday bias. I am not in the least bit ashamed. Some call me the Saturdayphile and I thought about commissioning a sign with it.

Allow me to spare you the pain: the inevitable story is anachronistic and two-fold, really.

The first (or literally second) event was once not too long ago. I chose to describe the poetry of Saturday to my friend Mike. Resoundingly, “The Jews have it right,” I said. You see, Friday's are consumed by a half day of work; only half the maximum enjoyment is possible out of the usable part of the day. On the other hand is their is Sunday, bringing nothing of its own to the table and at the end of the day carries the weight of being the night before Monday. Saturday has it right. If Wednesday is hump day then Saturday is float day. A day's length ripe with possibilities. Saturdays are the sole proprietor of a day about nothing. The ideal Saturday is one without a plan: nothing has to be done, but everything can be done.

Indeed, the Jew did “have it right,” past me. But even then, it could be un-witting plagiarism from an old That's 70s Show episode; Season 1 episode 10 (oddly enough with a production code of 105) to be exact. In this particular chapter of the show, Hyde, Foreman, Donna, Kelso, and Fez would like to enjoy Saturday; jettison the real world stresses of the week for the innately terrible Sunday¹. Jackie, however, chooses to do her homework on Saturday nights.

Hyde: Kelso, Jackie does her homework on Saturday night. That's so hip !

Pragmatism or psychosis? The question is debated throughout, with the conclusion often being not to worry about "it." Also that someone else would bear the responsibility. No big. In classic TV irony, though, it is Jackie who ultimately prevails. Or something. To be honest I have not seen the episode in a good number of years. Instead I relied on a synopsis and skimming the script.

Whether it is a bowl (of cereal?) and a cup of black coffee with the Saturday paper; enjoying a favorite weekend radio program²; cleaning and watching sports. or reading a book Saturdays are meant to be enjoyed. As such, my way of making any day pleasurable is an appropriate selection in musical accompaniment. Since I spent most of my time consumed by a music director position at KAMP Student Radio during 2010-2011 – a job made infinitely easier by becoming contemporary music literate in a genre of choice – Saturdays became a day for...different. As the story goes, I woke up one serene and sunny Saturday midmorning to the left of a very nice young lady (the same one, actually, mentioned in relation to Calabrese here). As the first rays of sun absorbed by my eyes still focused on pipedreams, stretching the muscles to far-sighted distances, this day felt different. Scantily clad female aside, something more esoteric permeated the air. The degree could not have possibly been measured with any known metric. It was not good or bad. The day just seemed very easy. Not carefree so much as waking up to an unwrapped present and immediately fixating about all the fun to be had.

This day, more than anything else, needed to be played along side Digable Planets' debut Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space).

Thus began Saturday morning listens. A day to select a soundtrack without concern of time period or taste necessarily in mind. Just: whatever feels right. Past selections have been Welcome to...Brazzaville just as easily as it has been Sigh's Scenario 4: Dread Dreams³. Choices have been as ambitious as Charles Mingus's Black Saint and the Sinner Lady while driving as it has been the relative obscurity of Caldera's 1976 self-titled debut in the middle of the night.

The possibilities are truly boundless, go ahead, enjoy your Saturday. A truly selfish act of slothful leisure, yes, but one well wroth appreciating.

Jonathan Cohen is a consumed by the belief that Mondays should be referred to as Obladee-Obladay. Also that Power Metal Tuedays should be a recognized holiday. You can follow him on Twitter at the handle @BoggleUrNoggle

1A Sunday in which Eric's grandmother is coming over to visit and he has promised to help with her stay for Sunday mass and dinner. Decidedly this is not sufficient time for a 1,000 paper

2Incidentally, it was an interview on What Do you Know with Michael Feldman that I first discovered John Jeremiah Sullivan through an interview for his book Pulphead

3The night before had been full of old kung-fu movies if it helps at all.