Mondays have a bad rap. Or is it “rep,” as in reputation? Either way, Mondays are known for being bad, to the point that I almost hate talking about Mondays because it’s become a cliche to have a bad Monday.

However, a little frame of reference here. Having formerly been the professional church world, I had Mondays off for about 17 years or so. Then, even the first few years after leaving that world, I seemed to find ways to get Mondays off in the course of whatever work I happened to be doing.

No more. And now it’s like whatever department in Heaven is in charge of messing with you on Mondays has decided to make up for all those years of easy Mondays. Maybe Satan and God have been having conversations about me in which God says to Satan, “Have you seen my servant Charley? What a cool guy he is.” And Satan says, “Yeah right. Mess with his Mondays and see what happens.” Kind of like the book of Job, only Job probably wished he could just have his crap on Mondays only. But I digress.

Monday is one of the days I work at the “more difficult” of my two schools. And of the two days I work at the difficult school, Monday is the day I have the busiest schedule, and the most difficult classes. “Most difficult” means classes of children who are brats who never stop talking no matter what. Plus mean and disrespectful.

Add to that the fact that I still seem to think it’s OK for a guy my age (i.e., not mid 20’s) to stay up until 1:00 am and get up at six and go work at the difficult school with the difficult classes all day – and there you go.

So as I sit here with my shoes off in my little beach house, I need to make a few things clear:

1.  I am extremely thankful – and I’m not just saying that because we’re supposed to say that. True, sometimes I say that because I’m supposed to say that, but that’s not the case this time. I’m just plain stinkin’ thankful – a) that I have employment at all in these days, b) that my difficult school, although difficult, is filled with a talented staff who cares about these kids a lot, and c) that at the end of the day I can be near the beach and rant on my blog. So I’m thankful.

2.  I realize that at least some of this difficulty is my fault – I’m the one who decided to put an extra-curricular rehearsal after school on my craziest day, and I’m the one who thinks he can still stay up until 1 am and be OK the next day. I ca probably adjust both of those things.

3.  In spite of what I said in #2 above, SOME OF THESE KIDS ARE RIDICULOUS. THEY MAKE EVERYONE’S MONDAY, NOT TO MENTION TUES – FRI, VERY DIFFICULT, AND THEY DON’T REALIZE HOW BLESSED THEY ARE TO HAVE THE TEACHERS THEY HAVE.

4. The rest of this week, I get to do fun things.

5.  I’m drinking really good coffee right now.

6.  The bad part of Monday is officially over.