What to do on a Sunday ? It’s a million-dollar question if you are a working middle-class professional doing a salaried job in India.

Though, the question arises for everyone but it becomes a puzzle only for people working in a fixed time-frame on weekdays. Weekdays in India varies from 05 to 07 days based upon job-profile of the individual. In the same way, working hours varies for everyone in our country. Though we are not as lucky as employees in France to have an average  30 hours per week work hours but most people in organized sector works between 40 hours to  84 hours on an average. Though, this data is not constant and people keep moving up or down the ladder but our situation is not as bad as people allegedly working in North Korean labour camps who may work for 112 hours per week on an average.

But, data by nature is dynamic and it keeps changing. It is rumoured that Netherlands may have reached an ideal average working hours of 21 hours per week. Unbelievable ? Why are Indians trying to get Green Cards for US, Europe is a far better destination considering lesser number of working hours while enjoying a fat salary. It is a proven fact that the more your country moves up in the development index, your working hour gets reduced.

Same formula is also partially true for top hierarchy in an organization. People working at lower rungs in an organization always have an intrinsic feeling that top man is good for nothing and his favourite pastime is to make sure that subordinates live in hell. But, like in a honeybee colony, functions of Queen bee, Drone bees and Workers bees are clearly identified so that Colony survives. So, all office-goers like worker bees have to slog for long weekdays to collect honey from all sources so that they survive in rat race of life.

So, now you realize the importance of Sundays. It is not that Fridays and Saturdays are not important but Sunday is like top of the cliff where you enjoy the wind on your face but need to climb down next day to slog again.

Coming back to the issue  of doing something on Sunday. Actually, a large percentage of people prefer to do nothing. Normal office-going men prefer sleeping on Sundays. However, kids and wives feel that Sundays have been gifted by god to make merry. They try to squeeze the juice out of husband/father and indulge in shopping in nearby markets/malls or go out to watch movies and eat out in a famous restaurant. 

Some health-conscious people walk or run long distances or cycle on country-side roads. Some people visits friends/families and have jolly time at the expense of host whose Sunday gets twisted due to uninvited guests. But, this normally happens in small towns not in big metros where neighbours don’t even recognise each other.

If you are bachelor then there are perks like sleeping for longer hours and eating to heart’s content, watching TV, using Internet and then sleeping again. Though, a big drawback nowadays is social media applications in your smart phone. Facebook, Instagram,Twitter, Whatsapp , video-streaming websites,e-commerce websites, fitness/health websites are a big nuisance for enjoying a peaceful Sunday.

The smart phone keeps invading into your personal space and makes you a dumb spectator of other’s lives. Yes, I don’t understand that why are these phones called smart when they make you dumb and erodes thinking capacity of your brain. It is a black hole which keeps your brain immersed in things which aren’t necessary in your life. All screens, be it TV, desktop/laptop,Tablet, phone or anything else is bad for your Sunday.  It makes you a slave as you can not keep away from it for a long time. There was a time not long ago when people took Tablets when they became ill. Same is happening again as screens are making our lives miserable. There will come a time in future when we have to take Tablets to get rid of screen from our brains.

Some people carry their screens to even toilets and it is the most obnoxious thing I can imagine. They feel that their bowels won’t get empty at designated place if their eyes are not watching or reading something on screen.

I even know a girl who  posted her status on Facebook as – “Dropped my phone in commode and so feeling sad ” and to top it some well-wishers asked – ” how did you retrieved it ? washed with soap or wiped with clothes ? ”

What have we come to as a society ? Where will we go from here ? To shit-hole , I guess.

So, it is better if we keep away from dumb phones on Sunday. I won’t called it smart …how can it be smart ? Either you are smart or your phone is ? Choice is yours.

So, I will tell you what to do on a Sunday. Go to nature along with your friends/loved ones. You may have hundreds of friend on Facebook but they all are like thin air. They vanish as soon as you take your gaze away from screen. Cultivate friends and family by spending Sunday with them. Do anything which pleases you. Clean the mess in house, do gardening , plant a tree in park, run/walk, live life…..see the sun and moon, see stars….meet your neighbours and their kids. Take interest in life of someone in real world.

Do not post a smiling face on your timeline.  Walk your dog if you have one or feed street dogs if you don’t have your own. That street dog won’t forget your meal and will profusely thank you by wagging his tail vigorously.Be human, behave like human.

Yesterday, I read about a couple whose ( 01-year old) son’s first word were some words on the pattern of ” Okay-Google” . Because, parents were addicted to Google Assistant so the kid followed their large footsteps. I wish that your kid must speak Mumma or PAAPAA as his first word. This is true joy. Throw away AI-assisted apps from your bedroom and open windows and let the monsoon rain drops touch you. This is bliss.

That’s it for today. Enjoy Sunday.