So, are you ready? You know, for National Have Fun at Work Day which is Wednesday, January 28. This is not to be confused with the International Have Fun at Work Day which is April 1. We know what kind of one-sided fun that would be.
Perhaps you are wondering if “Have Fun at Work” is a real day. Well, the government didn’t establish it and, obviously, you won’t get off work to celebrate but you will find it listed on the various web sites which list “National Days of.”
It seems to me we should ask fewer questions and get around to planning the fun we wish to have. If you look at the various web sites or articles about Fun at Work day most of the suggestions are for what bosses or others in charge should do to make the day one of, well, of fun. But that’s wrong. Fun, it seems to me, doesn’t come from the top down, but from all of us.
So, what shall we do for fun?
I know that some would feel that a fun day at work would mean doing nothing. Well, I’m sorry to spoil the fun, but National Do Nothing Day is past, having come and gone on January 16 (a real non-event, if you ask me).
Others might suggest parties or food or games. Well, there’s a time for all of that (April 3, according to the web), but I’m not sure parties always mean fun. Truth is, when I go to a party at work there’s always a little someone in the back of my mind saying, “Hey, when are you going to get your work done?”
Should we tell more jokes or stories (yes, there is a National Joke Day – August 16). Hey, I like stories and please feel free to send me something funny or enjoyable. But a whole day of that? Pass.
National Fun at Work day faces the same problem as Mother’s Day. There’s something wrong if we honor moms only one day a year, right? And if we have fun only once at work that might not be enough to keep us working.
So, here’s my plan. I will see what fun can be had on January 28. But I am not waiting until then to enjoy life at work. Nor will I stop afterward. I need joy, some fun and folks to share it with. This, of course, comes from a man who works with Altru’s Hospice where sickness and death are daily. Some might wonder how there can be any fun at work.
I was visiting an elderly gentleman. He told me, “I want to die.” He didn’t want to continue to live in his now old and sick body. I nodded and didn’t try to talk him out of his view. A minute or so later he talked about doctors. “All these different kinds of doctors,” he said, “I just call them all doctors. Even the windshield doctor.” As he said this I saw the twinkle in his eye and a little start of a smile as he looked at me to make sure I got it. I did.
No, this man didn’t want to live like this much longer. But he still lived with a bit of fun even at that. And, when he leaves this world for the next I will remember he has what he wanted. But I will also remember his view of doctors. And a little smile will come back to my face. Life always has a little fun. Let’s live it that way.
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