Home Alone, by Rich Paschall

So, it is Saturday afternoon.  You don’t have to go shopping. There is no dry cleaning to pick up. There are no appointments to keep. Friends or relatives are not expecting you at a shower, football game, wedding, or bowling tournament. Aunt Ethel is not waiting for you to meet her at Starbucks so she can fill your ears with the latest gossip. It is just you and the afternoon. What will you do?

Coffee break?

The desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone may be calling your name. There is always the temptation to check your email, check your Facebook, check your Instagram. You may be lured by Tumblr and Pinterest.  You may have to send out a tweet or two. You may wish to watch your favorite YouTubers. You do have a favorite, don’t you?

Perhaps you just want to check shopping sites. You can check eBay or Amazon for something you always wanted. Christmas or someone’s birthday is coming.  Maybe you need a movie, a book, or even a CD.  Searching the sites is fun and soon you are looking at items you never dreamed you had an interest in, but there you are, looking at book titles and movie titles. Perhaps you are reading the reviews. “This book looks good,” you may think to yourself.  “Should I order it? Should I get the audible book and just listen?  They have instant download!”

You may have the strength and intestinal fortitude to resist the siren call of the internet. There will be no World Wide Web for you while there is actually free time to be had. Nope, you will look for something old-fashioned, something useful, something of another era. Television?

What is on the television that you could possibly want to see when you have the day to yourself? Of course, there are a lot of channels if you have cable or satellite service. You can indulge in sports. Football, Basketball, hockey? You can see concerts or comedies for pure entertainment. News channels would love for you to drop in as they spin the stories to their particular point of view.

You could always watch a movie. If one of your many channels does not have a feature film to your liking, perhaps you can pop in a DVD. I think you should make popcorn first. Do you have the microwave popcorn, or perhaps the stovetop kind?  I have an air popper and can make a big batch in a hurry.  It even melts butter in a separate tray. What could be more appealing? Popcorn, a movie, and you!

If the feature film of your choice does not meet your expectation, perhaps it is time for a good book. Imagine a Saturday afternoon with no distractions and a good book?  What could be better?  If you have not read A Separate Peace (one of my favorites) or The 12 Foot Teepee by Marilyn Armstrong, then let me make a blatant plug. You need to read something entertaining, educational, and important.

Of course, you could curl up with John Adams, the historical story by David McCullough. I have been meaning to read it, but the task seems daunting. I am more inclined toward Winston, Marilyn, or Anthony Perkins’ bio.

I would like to think that if I am home alone on a Saturday with nothing special to do that I would get a bottle of my favorite French white wine, properly chilled, and read a good book as I sipped this wonderful drink. Maybe later in the day, I would put in a favorite movie, like Casablanca or one of Garry’s favorite westerns Rustlers’ Rhapsody. It would be a totally relaxing day, with nothing urgent or pressing to demand my time.

In reality, I probably could not do anything relaxing. No matter how free I was, routine chores would steal my attention. I would do the laundry, sweep the floors and do the dishes. I would take out the garbage and recycle the paper, cans, and bottles. I would mow grass or rake leaves. The linens and towels would need to be washed as well as the floor, the windows, and the mirrors.

On the rare occasion that my mother was home alone on a Saturday (I did not count when I was under high school age), she would clean, do laundry, and listen to Mario Lanza, Johnny Mathis, or Andy Williams, depending on her mood. I might listen to Andy Williams, but more likely to Chicago or The Association.  If I need something modern, David Archuleta, Steve Grand, or One Republic will do.

I guess I can never escape the chores.  As long as there is something that needs to be done, I guess I want to do it. The mail has an insidious way of piling up during the week, maybe I should tackle that. I don’t know. What will you do on your Saturday?  Share your thoughts in the comments. That’s another thing to do on Saturday. Read the comments.

Categories: Personal, Rich Paschall

Tags: alone, Books, chores, cleaning, home alone, Movies, Saturday