Sod Christmas

[OpenMind]

I don't know where else to post this. this is just a rant. An annual to rid myself of bad feelings.
Christmas. Oh, how I hate Christmas. How many Christmases have I spent loneley. Too many to specify.
Christmas. Spent sitting in corners watching people enjoy themselves.
The greatest pleasure of Christmas is the music. I can give myself over to music and it never lets me down. I can fall into music and wake up whole. Music has become my protector. It protects me from Christmas.
At Christmas, all of a sudden, everyone falls in love with everyone else, colleagues, strangers, tramps, you name them, they fall in love with them. I'd pick myself up from the rush and look to see exactly who's fallen in love with whom. And it would be the expected coupling.
This brings to mind one occasion over Christmas when I was working down in Horsham way back in 1989. It was quite amazing.
This was the last working day before Christmas. But I was booked to work boxing day ands beyond to finish the job. We finished work at lunch time and I went straight to a pub close to my lodgings. I happened to get chatting to the lead singer of the band who was going to be playing that night. We had a few drinks, and got chatting as people do.
He was concerned that I was alone. I told him it was no problem, par for the course and all that. Some towns you win them, some towns you lose them.
Anyway, I went back to my lodgings, changed, showered, et cetera. did all the bizz and went back up to the pub.
The band were superb, professional performers. They had the crowd eating out of their hands. I was bopping along as one does when a band is playing well and the atmosphere is good.
Then the guy leading the band, the vocalist who I'd spoken to at lunch time, made a beckon to me to get ready. "What", I gestured. Then he announced to all the crowd that he wanted all of them, upon his word, to turn to the person next to them and give them a great big hug.
And so he gave the word, and everyone responded immediately and turned to each other and gave each other a hug. With arms outspread, I turned to the one next to me and found he was hugging a girl next to him. I turned to the girl on the other side but she was already in a clinch.
So, I looked back at the singer, and he looked directly back at me and I just shrugged my shoulders. That's my lot.
This is just one example of why I hate Christmas. As far as I am concerned, the only good thing about Christmas is the part where you get so pissed you forget what it's all about.

[Accountable]

You're not getting me a present are you? That's what this is about.

[Rapunzel]

Hi Open Mind,
you sound like a bit of a work-aholic, but you also have a wry sense of humour. It might help to tell us a bit more about yourself and your love-life situation so we can offer our thoughts to you.

Meanwhile, for this Christmas, I had a couple of thoughts for you. When I was a teenager, my family all pushed off on holiday and left me behind. (I was about 19 & had left home by then. Yay!) So I decorated my little flat and bought myself little presents, things I really wanted, in the run up to Christmas. I wrapped them as soon as I bought them and put them under my tree. I bought myself lots of scrummy things I liked to eat and some nice wine. And I got a TV mag and circled everything that sounded interesting. Christmas Day is only one day, even though Christmas seems to last from October-Jan! I spent the day watching whatever I wanted on TV, reading a good book, munching chocolates and went to the pub with my aunt and uncle. (I also got some good pressies under the tree (not crap!) cos I'd forgotten half of the things I'd treated myself to! (Sad! Lol! hehehe)) It might sound sillly, but it was a nice day and on boxing day my friends returned from their families' homes and we went pubbing and clubbing as normal.

If you've dome this too often for it to appeal, then there are other choices available to you. My first thought was that you seem to work hard and live alone, so you must have a good standard of living. Why not take the day and give it to those less well off? There are always people helping others on Christmas Day, maybe you could help out at a soup kitchen or in a hospital? Helpers are always desperately needed and you would be in warm and friendly company. Or listening to someone who is stuck in a hospital bed with no one to talk to, would give them company and make you realise how good your life is by comparison. A good turn also warms your heart and makes you feel very good about yourself. Let that be your gift to you.

My uncle used to be a policeman with the Met in London. He always said Christmas is the WORST time of year because people have such high expectations for the season and when things go wrong, tempers flare. Apparently, Christmas is when most major "domestics" occur! So a lot of people aren't happy over Xmas. Even the ones who appear "happy" are just eating themselves silly and snoozing in front of the box! They've also maxed out their credit cards for the year! I like going to Midnight Mass at Christmas because it gives me a feeling of serenity and I blieve that feeling of peace is the true "Christmas Spirit" not all the mad rushing around trying to get all the food cooked in time whilst relatives who bore you to death keep getting in your way and distracting you by talking complete rubbish, all for the sake of a 'family Christmas'! I also get annoyed at having to buy gifts for family members whom I don't see all year. I'm on a limited budget and I'd rather spend my money on my kids. Of course, my kids get presents from the family...last year my daughter got a vomit-coloured dress from my mother! Lovely! So really, WHAT is SO great about Christmas?

My other thought for you, was to try a dating service. There are a LOT of lonely people at Christmas. Why not see if you can find a date for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day AND Boxing Day? There are Ladies out there who'd love to go out on a date, they just need to be asked. Even the newspapers are full of people looking for people. And no way are they the dregs or whatever, many of them are simply too busy working to meet people! Sound familiar? My best friend divorced her husband then dated via an Internet site. She met Mr Right and they are TOTALLY loved up and planning their wedding.

Sorry for rabbiting on so long. The Joys of Christmas are really the joys of kids on Christmas. Some people love it, a lot of people hate it. You can feel sorry for yourself or you can give yourself a mental kick in the butt and say "I'm going to do THIS!" and do something you think you will enjoy. If you hate it, chalk it up to experience and try something different. Whatever you do, it'll be better than sinking into a pit of misery and it might be wonderful. Surprise yourself!

I was going to suggest OM and I get "pissed" together, but Rapunzel's got much better ideas.

Lovely post.

[lady cop]

thanks OM for wonderful pm.

[minks]

Oh all you FG members who dislike christmas or will be alone or lonely for christmas, please know in spirit you are all each and every one of you invited up north to the Minks Family christmas. I truly love the festive season, my family is small, but we have always celebrated it as best as we can, and always have welcomed everyone who finds themselves alone on christmas so know that I will think of each and every one of you On christmas eve and day. I know no other way.

[Rapunzel]

Originally Posted by SnoozeControl

I was going to suggest OM and I get "pissed" together, but Rapunzel's got much better ideas.

Lovely post.

Thanks Snooze...but getting pi$$ed is good too! hehehic

[Accountable]

Originally Posted by minks

Oh all you FG members who dislike christmas or will be alone or lonely for christmas, please know in spirit you are all each and every one of you invited up north to the Minks Family christmas. I truly love the festive season, my family is small, but we have always celebrated it as best as we can, and always have welcomed everyone who finds themselves alone on christmas so know that I will think of each and every one of you On christmas eve and day. I know no other way.

Thanks Minks! In spirit is about the only way anybody'd get me so far north in winter time. But you know I'm there for ya!

[minks]

Originally Posted by Accountable

Thanks Minks! In spirit is about the only way anybody'd get me so far north in winter time. But you know I'm there for ya!

Oh ACC I have my family here I am blessed that way But hey come north in July for stampede then hehehehehe

[OpenMind]

Thanks to everyone for all your wonderful replies. I'm happy to say that I just needed to get that off my chest. I'm feeling much better now.
Rapunzel, just for the record and since you asked, I split up with my ladyfriend in March this year. Had been together for what would have been 12 years this Christmas.
Have had a few other things to contend with this year, too. It always takes time for the crap to work its way through.
I'm going to busy over Christmas. So no worries on that score. But thanks for all the thoughts.
LC, you are more than welcome. All of it was meant, just something that's been playing on my mind for a while now.
Minks, I wish I could get there. Thanks for the invite. I'll be with you in spirit but don't know if I'll be able to get online until after Christmas.
Snooze, that sounds like a damned good idea to me. I'm up for it. Hehehe.
Thanks to you all. I'm fine now, really. Just good to be able to get it off my chest.