Dear boss,
I know I could say I’m unwell but I’m in the best of health possible.
I would like to take a day off work today because…
It’s May, and the first shower of the monsoon has just hit. I’d love to sleep in just a bit longer; sit by the window, look at the soaked leaves dance in their new found green and hear the sweet sound of the rain patter against the glass pane, dwelling in the petrichor wafting in the air.
My dogs get scared when they hear the thunder, and just once, I’d like to sit back and comfort them, and watch them try to enjoy this moment with me.
It’s been ages since I’ve had a cup of tea which wasn’t dispensed from a big, industrial machine. Since I had a cup of tea which wasn’t in a little plastic container. Today I want to make a cup of tea just how I like it. Bits of ginger, a dash of cinnamon, and very little milk. I’ll have it from my favourite orange mug and take little sips all day long.
I just bought a new record of my favourite artist – Prosad. How nice would it be to just sit with my feet up and listen to those soul-soothing sounds, blending with the sound of rains, instead of the tip-tap of the laptops, ringing mobile phones and urgent client pitches.
A new play is in town later in the evening. I always miss the best bits in rushing back from office. I would be the first one to arrive, watch the empty theatre come alive, watch the many stories unfold before my eyes. For once I wouldn’t be mentally crunching numbers on an excel sheet.
My family doesn’t see enough of me. I’d love to lie in my mom’s lap and listen to how her week was, while enjoying a comforting head massage. Or listen to my grandad tell me stories. Just like when I was 5.
My boyfriend, the love of my life, is in town. We see other each once a month. Our protracted distance is a product of us being slaves to our jobs. How nice it would be to just linger on at home in our pjyamas, for once let love trump business. Just once.
I’m developing a bit of a paunch from sitting around too much. Maybe a run is what I need. A random walk around the park. I want to get the adrenaline going in my muscles, and for once enjoy a sport that’s not the rat race.
I can’t remember the last time I saw the sunset, and not from behind the tinted windows of the glass and concrete structure this office is.
My favourite show is ending today. I have watched every single episode through its 10 year long run. I have considered the characters a part of my life, maybe a little more than my colleagues at work. I want to bid them goodbye like ol’ friends, and go through the episode like my own graduation day.
Just once I’d like to surprise my body, which usually waits, running a mental clock until it is the weekend. Why could we not give into a bit of spontaneity sometime? I know that work is important to keep the wheels of commerce running, but once I’d love to not let weekends be my only reason to be living the week.
Can I just…Break the routine a bit? Live a little?
Yours sincerely,
Overworked Employee