Monday, Monday

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About 25 years ago I worked every day with a guy named Zane Conway. I think I've written about him plenty. He's a man who's made it his life mission to spend time in every country in the world.

The last time I spoke with him he was in China. The time before that...South America.

When I met him we worked side-by-side pouring concrete in San Jose. The Fairmount Hotel, if you're ever in town...we poured every floor.

And on Mondays, hating life, at 21 years old, I'd walk thru the gate and I'd be greeted by Zane.

"What's up!?" He'd cheerfully ask as the concrete truck pulled up. "There's breakfast."

Zane took that line from my Dad who loved to chide us about how hard we were working.

"How can you be so fu*%$ng happy?" I'd ask.

"What's not to be happy about?" Zane would say. "I'm young, I'm white and I'm free. It's Monday and there are endless possibilities."

"Yeah, we could land face-up or face-down in the concrete," I said.

"Dude, you're a human doing. Be a human being. You see what I'm saying? You could write the greatest sentence of your life today, or find the love of your life, or a bag of money on the side of the road. It's a brand new week! Think of the possibilities!"

Now Zane wasn't all Pollyanna. He would simply gauge the moment and try to put a different spin on things. I remember so many stories that he'd tell me, jokes about co-workers, happy remarks. We were great friends.

I always remember how he taught me to tackle Monday.

Think of the possibilities!

Be a human being, not a human doing.

At least there's no chance I'll end up face down in the concrete today.

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