Well, it’s vacation season, and if you work in a small business, you know how challenging it can be to keep everything afloat with a reduced staff. Most of us don’t have extra co-workers sitting around waiting to fill in, so vacation typically means working ahead before you leave, working more when you get back, and leaning on others to cover some tasks while you are gone. Sound familiar?
Many years ago, I was working with Denny Cook, a sales manager at Crescent Chevrolet who was one of my customers. I was trying to work ahead, as I had a vacation planned. Denny, being his witty self, said, “Vacation? You don’t work Sundays, do you? That’s 52 days of vacation per year!”
I nodded and started to explain that I was only going to be gone a few days when he interrupted me and stated, “Wait a minute. You don’t work Saturdays either. That’s another 52 days of vacation per year! So you’ve got 104 days of vacations, and you are taking more? How much vacation do you need?”
I slowly and awkwardly nodded again with my jaw open, searching for a way to explain myself. Denny, being the kind person he truly is, then told me he was just kidding and to enjoy my time off. But there was some truth in all that jesting. Denny, like many who work in the auto industry, worked a lot of hours including most every Saturday. If the dealerships were open on Sunday in Iowa, they would likely be working then, too. Those in the auto industry are not alone. Many of you reading this work a great deal of hours, too. Others of you, not so much. But that’s OK. I have a friend who is a fireman whom I tease about the amount of time off he receives. His reply is, “You should have been a fireman.” He’s right. We all make our choices.
Meanwhile, if you are fortunate enough to have some vacation time soon, enjoy the time off. You deserve it.
Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman President and Publisher Big Green Umbrella Media shane@dmcityview.com 515-953-4822, ext. 305 |