I'm going off the cuff a little bit here, but my understanding is that Labor Day is meant to honor labor. The workers who are there behind the scenes, doing the actual work of producing goods and services.

But as you celebrate, look around you. Who is actually celebrating Labor Day? Are the grocery clerks taking the day off? The restaurant workers? The hotel maids and staff? Those working in stores or movie theaters or entertainment venues?

No. But management (other than front line) is taking the day off. So are engineers and accountants and designers and trades people.

I'm not sure what it was that put these thoughts in my mind. Maybe it was my son's caregiver, who showed up at 9 am on the dot, just like she does every Monday. Maybe it was my son, who despite his disabilities, is able to hold down a part time job at Disneyland and is heading there for an evening shift today. Maybe it was me, an accountant, sitting back and taking an extra day of rest.

So are we really celebrating Labor today? Or our we easing our tortured consciences by pointing at a day intended to acknowledge all of those low paid workers, but continuing to ask them to work and giving them a 50% bonus for the day instead of actually giving them some badly needed time off?

--Peter