Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in.
Every year, I flirt with a temporary 'maybe it's not that bad' attitude towards the holidays. And, as time marches inexorably toward the zero-hour that comes Christmas Morning, I'm inevitably reminded that it is, in fact, that bad. The details of what in particular reminded me this time are unimportant.
I’ve dreamed of a world where December was removed from the calendar since I was a kid. “The Holidays” have not traditionally been my favorite time of the year, and I’m not sure why that is. The leading theory is that after my parents divorced, I worried too much about whose house I was at for how long, on which days, etc. so as to not insult or irritate either of my parents. Before you break out the Kleenex, I'm not about to blame anyone, or cry a river about how my childhood was crap and nobody loved me. My childhood was fine, and plenty of people loved me. However, the stress a kid is subjected to when parents are divorced is undeniable, and formative experiences related to it are unavoidable. Is my loathing of Xmas the result of one or more of these experiences? I don’t know, and I don’t care, really. If I ignore possible age-old causal factors here, and just think about what bugs me now, it seems pretty clear.
We all like to believe that it’s really the thought that counts when giving presents. Here's an experiment for you. Go home to your parents (or substitute any 2 gifting-level peers in your life) and give one of them a plasma TV, and give the other one a pair of Reeboks. Please video tape the resulting facial expressions and send me a copy. Thanks.
Yes, this is a tired subject. Nobody thinks that the “commercialization of Christmas” is good (well, except maybe the anchor stores at the local mall) but this isn’t quite exactly what bothers me. Besides, I don't blame the people receiving the gifts...hell, I am not immune to the same feelings. If my Mom bought my brother a new car, and bought me a pair of pants, I'd be pissed for at least an hour or two- I admit it. This is exactly why I hate this holiday so much. Ok, maybe I do blame the people receiving the gifts.
Why am I reduced to this? What happened to me? I was so irreverent as a kid…how the hell did I get sucked in? One minute I was laughing with my bestest cynical buddies at the idiots stuck in the Xmas rush mall traffic jam, and the next I’m trying to figure out how I can make sure everyone perceives me as successful, and at the same time, is shown how much I care, by way of the presents I buy. I’m fairly confident that I’m not alone on this, but it’s ok if you’re in denial…it’s hard to be honest with yourself about such things. Maybe it’s too much like admitting defeat.
I’m not stupid. I know full well that none of this crap is the fault of The Holidays in particular. These sentiments exist for everyone, all year long. It’s just that during the four weeks between 11/27 and 12/25, we’re forced to deal with them front and center. I suppose acknowledging all of this stuff is a pretty good step towards overcoming it, so it’s not all bad. Then again, it might be easier to lead a campaign to have December removed from the calendar.
I’ve dreamed of a world where December was removed from the calendar since I was a kid. “The Holidays” have not traditionally been my favorite time of the year, and I’m not sure why that is. The leading theory is that after my parents divorced, I worried too much about whose house I was at for how long, on which days, etc. so as to not insult or irritate either of my parents. Before you break out the Kleenex, I'm not about to blame anyone, or cry a river about how my childhood was crap and nobody loved me. My childhood was fine, and plenty of people loved me. However, the stress a kid is subjected to when parents are divorced is undeniable, and formative experiences related to it are unavoidable. Is my loathing of Xmas the result of one or more of these experiences? I don’t know, and I don’t care, really. If I ignore possible age-old causal factors here, and just think about what bugs me now, it seems pretty clear.
We all like to believe that it’s really the thought that counts when giving presents. Here's an experiment for you. Go home to your parents (or substitute any 2 gifting-level peers in your life) and give one of them a plasma TV, and give the other one a pair of Reeboks. Please video tape the resulting facial expressions and send me a copy. Thanks.
Yes, this is a tired subject. Nobody thinks that the “commercialization of Christmas” is good (well, except maybe the anchor stores at the local mall) but this isn’t quite exactly what bothers me. Besides, I don't blame the people receiving the gifts...hell, I am not immune to the same feelings. If my Mom bought my brother a new car, and bought me a pair of pants, I'd be pissed for at least an hour or two- I admit it. This is exactly why I hate this holiday so much. Ok, maybe I do blame the people receiving the gifts.
Why am I reduced to this? What happened to me? I was so irreverent as a kid…how the hell did I get sucked in? One minute I was laughing with my bestest cynical buddies at the idiots stuck in the Xmas rush mall traffic jam, and the next I’m trying to figure out how I can make sure everyone perceives me as successful, and at the same time, is shown how much I care, by way of the presents I buy. I’m fairly confident that I’m not alone on this, but it’s ok if you’re in denial…it’s hard to be honest with yourself about such things. Maybe it’s too much like admitting defeat.
I’m not stupid. I know full well that none of this crap is the fault of The Holidays in particular. These sentiments exist for everyone, all year long. It’s just that during the four weeks between 11/27 and 12/25, we’re forced to deal with them front and center. I suppose acknowledging all of this stuff is a pretty good step towards overcoming it, so it’s not all bad. Then again, it might be easier to lead a campaign to have December removed from the calendar.
posted by (diet) Dr. Thunder at 1:17 PM
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