Sometimes you just need to go out for a Sunday drive.The adage is cliche, but it is one of those activities that helps to clear one’s head before another dose of the daily grind takes its toll.
I forgot about the comfort of this activity until last weekend during my return from the Austin exodus that was TCU versus UT. While driving through scattered showers and standstill traffic on Interstate 35 with a couple of my close friends, we took the time to realize how nice it is to sit down and relax.
A few compilation CDs that I made in high school and countless off-key sing-alongs later and we were on the outskirts of Fort Worth not even dreading the work load that was soon to follow.
It is understood that not everyone wants to go and drive 250 miles on a Sunday, but that is not the issue as much as the emphasis of taking it easy during the final day of the weekend.
During the college years, Monday mornings will become more of a chore. Granted, Mondays are not exactly the pinnacle day of anyone’s week, but after a weekend adventure or two – sometimes three – of partying, the Monday alarm clock creates a dirge rather than a wake-up call.
My solution is simple.
Relax on Sunday.
Wake up at a decent hour, do some homework, listen to some music, take a nap, watch a movie, grab a beer and go to bed. Advocating social celibacy on a weekend – even Sunday – is a criminal act when a good laugh or quality time with friends is all that it takes to lighten the mood.
This is easier said than done with weekend jobs and projects looming like a thundercloud above one’s head. Since coming to college, I have come to realize that my Sundays are impossible to give a price tag to. Admittedly, I have not been to church on campus since my second week at school, but I have still found ways to charge my batteries both physically and spiritually.
Prayer and meditation is a healthy alternative for some, but for me, I find solace in weekly television programs and Adult Swim cartoons. For some reason laughing at the antics of Huey and Riley on Boondocks made any troubles vanish into a cloud of smoke. After all, laughter is very uplifting.
It is understood there is an offsetting emotional feeling on a Sunday afternoon when it is nice outside and tomorrow’s lectures don’t seem to be a fair alternative to the weekend, but then again life is not fair. However, a shot can be taken at the game of life by giving a couple hours to yourself to relax.
For as long as I can remember, I have seen chromed-out Harleys and luxury cars strolling on Sunday afternoons. They know the value of taking a Sunday drive, maybe you should too.
Marcus Murphree is a senior news-editorial major from Beaumont.
