Hopefully for many of you, Friday marks the end of the working week. Our division of days into weeks is actually rather arbitrary, and stems from the Babylonians, about 4,000 years ago who believed our solar system contained seven planets and set things up that way. The arrangement of weeks as comprising seven days was then spread through the world and history from the Egyptians to the Romans so by 2018 it’s unimaginable for the world to be any other way. The weekend is a bit more novel of a concept, this fantastic Atlantic article marks that the first reference to a weekend was in England in 1879. Judeo-Christian religions practiced a “day of rest” but that is hardly a true “week end.” At first, Saturdays were just half-days for workers, perhaps to encourage them to get their less restful pursuits out of the way so they could attend church properly on Sundays. Fast forward to the twentieth century, in order to mitigate and prevent increasing unemployment during the Great Depression, many factories instituted a five day work week, which has since become the standard in most work places.

However, now there is growing evidence that supports a four day work week. Long gone are the days of factory and industrial work, and perhaps people are more productive working four days and not working three days than the current model. In 1930, John Maynard-Keynes even speculated (or fantasized?) about how workers of the future would only need to work fifteen hours a week! However your work week is configured, I hope you break is full of fun and relaxation.

Although goats are characterized as having independent personalities, they are quite social. I hope that y’all have a good friend that you can confide in and engage in shenanigans with.

 

 

Sheep and goats often hang out together, and have for a long time. Ancient skeletal material between the two are notoriously difficult to distinguish, even though they belong to separate species. Sheep belong to the species Ovis aries. They are grazers rather than browsers (no “experimental chew”), have 54 as opposed to 60 chromosomes, and generally have less personality than goats. Sheep and goat can produce non-fertile offspring, sometimes called shoats, or geeps, but I prefer chimera.

There are an estimated one billion goats in the world, as of 2017. Researching goat demography is quite tricky and more involved than I anticipated. There are multiple reports tracking goats, goat population density, detailing the consumption of their secondary products (wool, milk), and the (cringe) details of the goat meat industry.* The majority of goats live in Asia, with (as of 2010) China boasting the most goats of any country (17.3%) followed by India (14.6%) and Pakistan (6.6%). Goats are great to keep for not just their milk and wool products, but they are also great at landscaping (“goatscaping) and generally fun to be around.

*I won’t eat goat meat anymore. I’m not a vegetarian, but I am highly selective about the meat I do eat and my love and fascination with goats exceeds my appetite for them.

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter it can be somewhat challenging to stay energized. The picture below is the 2017 winner of the Cambridge-Oxford Goat Race, pictured about an hour before her victory fueling up for the big race. Today in Cambridge, U.K. it is cold and damp, but do not let the conditions get you down. Fuel up, nourish yourself, perhaps with healthy food or whatever it is that brings nourishment to your soul.

Sundays are great days to reflex on things in your life that you are grateful for. Gratitude can transcend many things. You might be grateful for your belongings, your loved ones, or a delicious meal at the transition between last week and next week.

It is easy, sometimes, to feel lost and without purpose. You may have a job that you find frustrating or pointless, or may worry that your life has no meaning. Do not anguish in self-doubt and uncertainty, all life has meaning, and perhaps the purpose is finding joy wherever and whenever you can.

Are you rushing toward the weekend? Are you planning a big adventure, or some time to unwind?  This goat was photographed four years ago at Zoo Atlanta with an old iPhone. It was difficult to photograph, as this was a very busy goat, perhaps preparing for its own adventure. Whatever your pursuits, I hope they make you smile.

Do you have that one friend that is always going on about something? Or is there someone in your life who is always talking making noise? Take a deep breath, close your eyes and be patient. Show compassion, everyone needs to make some noise every now and then.

Artists have depicted goats from times prior to their domestication. Goats in art often represent optimism, fertility and renewal. In 1950, artist Pablo Picasso was inspired by feelings of optimism and hope and crafted a sculpture entitled, The She-Goat. The unique sculpture was crafted from discarded items he collected in the neighboring fields where potters would throw rubbish. The She-Goat is life-sized, and was created from bits of a wicker basket, metal sheets, palm fronds and ceramic baskets. She is pregnant and bears an optimistic expression. What can we reclaim and renew for an optimistic future?