Remember the Sabbath

Jacobs has a hard time keeping the Sabbath. The temptation to check his e-mail is just too strong. I do not have this problem. I rarely check my e-mail on the weekends. It is hard in America for anyone to keep the Sabbath, regardless of which day of the week one observes as the Sabbath. Since I am not an especially religious person my desire to keep the Sabbath has little to do with setting aside time to worship (although I do attend UU church on most Sundays) and more to do with having a "day of rest". When I was in college I worked in a bookstore that was closed on Sundays, as were most retail establishments in Maryland prior to 1987. I loved Blue laws. I knew I would always have Sunday off (except for at Christmastime). Petitioners started showing up at the mall though and getting people to sign asking that the blue laws be repealed. They told us that we had "right to work on Sunday" - huh? Anyway, eventually they got their way, and I got a regular office job with weekends off. I rarely shop on Sunday even now. I think people should have more time off.