For a positive blog such as this, it’s rather hard to explain that Today’s Perfect Moment is all about saying no. Not shouting it in a loud defiant voice, but merely asserting oneself.

Here’s the background. I work.  I am not a workaholic, but I am paid by the hour, so more hours means more money.  Theoretically this means paying off debts faster, or paying for a trip in the near future.  I also want the company to see me as a dependable member of the team.  So if they ask me, unless something else is scheduled, I will say yes.

ESL teaching is littered with a wide variety of characters. Amongst the kind-hearted, the wild, the creative, the slackers, the alcoholics, the dedicated, and the truly weird there exists another kind.  That kind likes to take Friday off.  While this is probably true of all of us, those of us who do are fewer in number.

When approached by these types, most often the dollar signs cloud both my vision and my thinking, often leading to late working on Friday. While this isn’t necessarily bad, it makes waking up for Saturday morning bike rides much more difficult.  It also makes it much easier to go for a drink after work on a Friday if it’s already dinner time.  While this isn’t necessarily bad, it also makes waking up for Saturday morning club rides much much more difficult.

So, it happened today, and for once I uttered a guilt free no. I don’t have any plans.  I could use the money.  However,  I am tired and I could use the time off.  And maybe I could make some plans.