I remember the days when I made more money working on statutory holidays than any other days of the year. I'm self-employed now, so I don't make enough to pay myself time and a half, but I do have freedom to schedule my calendar. I appreciate the holidays because they allow me to spend time with family and friends who have a more nine to five lifestyle than I do.
Family Day is usually especially fun because we have two family birthdays nearby and we love to get together to share some food, laughs and maybe a water slide at a Saskatchewan hotel. It is our mini-vacation and even though it can even get pricy to stay close to home it can be almost as refreshing as getting on a plane and going somewhere more exotic.
Family Day appeals to us although it is usually spread out over several days just like any other holiday, because we have such a large family and such great distances to cover to see them.
I was interested to listen to commentary about Manitoba's holiday on the same date. They celebrate Louis Riel Day and it renewed my interest in an important figure in the history of our region. I like to think of myself as a history buff and I even spent a summer working in a historical museum with an 1885 theme, but I find I don't really know much about Riel.
Holidays can offer us a rest from the ordinary and an excuse to get together but I also enjoy the opportunity to learn something new or at least add something to the list of things I'd like to research farther.
I find the history of Saskatchewan much more interesting than the history of Europe and although the written history of our province spans a much shorter timeframe there are still questions to be asked and facts to uncover.
While I was in school I enjoyed field trips because they offered an escape from the classroom, but even then they made an impact on my ability to remember historical events. I haven't given my children much of a chance to avoid visiting museums and roadside cairns. They look forward to our little jaunts and it even pays off in school at times as they are able to answer questions. They know more about the past than their classmates because the stories are living in the walks we've taken, the artifacts we have seen up close and the plaques they have read while standing exactly where the action has taken place.
Words on a page are important to me, but learning the stories on the land gives them breath.
