1. You think to yourself, "PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!" No matter if you clock in at 9 a.m. or 4 p.m., you will be dreading going in to work. After all, this should be a day filled with tacky dad t-shirts, hot dogs and sparklers. Cash registers and serving people? Ugh.

2. Your co-workers are probably in the same mental state as you. But nothing makes the day easier than venting together and then working hard so that the hot day can go by quickly, and working together no doubt makes the day way more fun!

3. You just want to be able to go home and inhale all of the Fourth of July goodies that you know might be scarce at the BBQ you're planning on attending later. Burgers, dogs, you name it, you're probably craving it.

4. Imagining your friend's faces when you finally show up to that BBQ party is encouraging enough to keep going through the day. When they finally see you after your sweaty and smelly shift, your red, white, and blue outfit won't be the only thing they're excited to see.

5. When people ask you if you're open all night, you have to keep the smile pasted on your face to say, "No, I'm sorry, we're closing early for the holiday." As if we don't have our own potato salad to eat?

6. And when the day is almost over, you can't help but be happy for yourself when you think of the extra money you made. After all, working hard so other people can enjoy their holiday weekend is something to be proud of.

7. Finally, after the long hours, customer interactions, cleaning and sorting, your day of work is over! As everyone is busting their butts to finish closing and make sure everything is done, it's an awesome feeling. You worked hard on the Fourth of July, probably the biggest summer holiday, and made it out alive. A job well done to all of us working Americans out there!

No matter what you do day in and day out, it can be a downer to have to work on a holiday. But so many industries know that it's just the name of the game and takes time to make sure the great day runs smoothly for everyone! Thank you to our troops protecting this country, to everyone who worked over the holiday weekend, and to those of you who didn't, you better have enjoyed those fresh burgers!

Happy Fourth of July, from the Spongebob Squarepants gang and I.