glvsav37
Footballguy
There I've said it. I don't particularly enjoy this season, as a matter of fact, it gets me more frustrated and angry most of the month then any other time of year.
I don't know exactly why or when I started disliking it. I have a normal family—wife, and teen-aged kids—both parents are still around. I had a good healthy upbringing, growing up we always enjoyed the holiday and Santa was good to me and my siblings. There is no real trauma or other injustice in my life that would cause me to feel the way I feel about it. But every year I feel less and less engaged in this season.
I think for me, a lot of it is this forced "you have to be merry NOW" expectation. As soon as the turkey is carved (and lately weeks before) all of a sudden its all or nothing Christmas music, hours of decorating, and the mad rush to start shopping for every single person who crossed your path that year. And god forbid the pressure of "who did I forget," or "should we get them something because they might get us something" drama. Shopping and gift-giving is a huge part of it. I want to help spread some cheer, but my bank account is only sooo cheerful, its not like Santa made my mortgage go away for the month, and the stress of finding those "prefect gifts" is overwhelming IMO. We seem to live in a day and age where if someone wanted it—and it was within my gift budget—they've already bought it for themselves, and the thought of giving a random sweater or hat and glove set is just inauthentic to me.
Personally, I find Christmas music grating. This is never music I would willingly listen to, Maraiha Carry or Bing Crosby would never make a playlist of mine any other time of the year, but everywhere I turn they are on 24-7 now. And I'm supposed to be like "OMG, isn't this so beautiful, so magical?" I live in suburban Long Island, I don't dream of white Christmases because I will never have one. If I had a dream, it would be of someone magically coming by and removing the 3 inches of dead, brown leaves I have to deal with on my lawn on top of all the other holiday chores I have to do. After 11 months of everyone telling each other to F-off and pissing on the other's political choices, now we are all expected to hold hands and listen to the gifts of the little drummer boy?
Decorating is another thing that drives me crazy this time of year. I'm all for some simple white lights outlining the house, a few red bows, and natural green garland.....but most of the houses by me have so much "stuff" it's like Chris Cringle threw up on their lawn. So many colored lights and these inflatables, one bigger than the next until you can't even see the house. It sends me into epileptic fits. I swear my 2 neighbors are in a competition to see who can break the electrical grid first.
But to be honest, I hate that I feel this way, like really hate it. Every year I tell myself to chill, sit back and enjoy it, but eventually, it just comes back. And I am afraid that one day, when the parents have passed on, and the kids are old and out of the house, that I'll have ****ed up and lost all that time I should have been more chill.
Idk...IDK why I even wrote this. But it just seems like this year more than in the past, I have zero Christmas joy. My business is not doing well and "happy new year" is looking like a "crappy new year" for the economy making turning the business even harder. This accident I just had has me frustrated beyond belief b/c any of the minimal time I have to try and enjoy or relax is now out trying to replace this vehicle with something I'm basically losing money on while also fighting with the insurance company. We are 2 weeks out and I have not put a single light on my house b/c of the time I'm spending trying to do that along with my kid's normal weekend activities that keep us busy. I feel that if we make it to Christmas and I have not done even that bare minimum of decorating outside that I've failed my family and kids and took away their enjoyable Christmas visions.
IDK, every year we sit around the table and say "I can't believe it's Christmas already" but each year Christmas gets more and more of a dread then enjoyment for me.
hate bein the grinch...but I guess someone has to
I don't know exactly why or when I started disliking it. I have a normal family—wife, and teen-aged kids—both parents are still around. I had a good healthy upbringing, growing up we always enjoyed the holiday and Santa was good to me and my siblings. There is no real trauma or other injustice in my life that would cause me to feel the way I feel about it. But every year I feel less and less engaged in this season.
I think for me, a lot of it is this forced "you have to be merry NOW" expectation. As soon as the turkey is carved (and lately weeks before) all of a sudden its all or nothing Christmas music, hours of decorating, and the mad rush to start shopping for every single person who crossed your path that year. And god forbid the pressure of "who did I forget," or "should we get them something because they might get us something" drama. Shopping and gift-giving is a huge part of it. I want to help spread some cheer, but my bank account is only sooo cheerful, its not like Santa made my mortgage go away for the month, and the stress of finding those "prefect gifts" is overwhelming IMO. We seem to live in a day and age where if someone wanted it—and it was within my gift budget—they've already bought it for themselves, and the thought of giving a random sweater or hat and glove set is just inauthentic to me.
Personally, I find Christmas music grating. This is never music I would willingly listen to, Maraiha Carry or Bing Crosby would never make a playlist of mine any other time of the year, but everywhere I turn they are on 24-7 now. And I'm supposed to be like "OMG, isn't this so beautiful, so magical?" I live in suburban Long Island, I don't dream of white Christmases because I will never have one. If I had a dream, it would be of someone magically coming by and removing the 3 inches of dead, brown leaves I have to deal with on my lawn on top of all the other holiday chores I have to do. After 11 months of everyone telling each other to F-off and pissing on the other's political choices, now we are all expected to hold hands and listen to the gifts of the little drummer boy?
Decorating is another thing that drives me crazy this time of year. I'm all for some simple white lights outlining the house, a few red bows, and natural green garland.....but most of the houses by me have so much "stuff" it's like Chris Cringle threw up on their lawn. So many colored lights and these inflatables, one bigger than the next until you can't even see the house. It sends me into epileptic fits. I swear my 2 neighbors are in a competition to see who can break the electrical grid first.
But to be honest, I hate that I feel this way, like really hate it. Every year I tell myself to chill, sit back and enjoy it, but eventually, it just comes back. And I am afraid that one day, when the parents have passed on, and the kids are old and out of the house, that I'll have ****ed up and lost all that time I should have been more chill.
Idk...IDK why I even wrote this. But it just seems like this year more than in the past, I have zero Christmas joy. My business is not doing well and "happy new year" is looking like a "crappy new year" for the economy making turning the business even harder. This accident I just had has me frustrated beyond belief b/c any of the minimal time I have to try and enjoy or relax is now out trying to replace this vehicle with something I'm basically losing money on while also fighting with the insurance company. We are 2 weeks out and I have not put a single light on my house b/c of the time I'm spending trying to do that along with my kid's normal weekend activities that keep us busy. I feel that if we make it to Christmas and I have not done even that bare minimum of decorating outside that I've failed my family and kids and took away their enjoyable Christmas visions.
IDK, every year we sit around the table and say "I can't believe it's Christmas already" but each year Christmas gets more and more of a dread then enjoyment for me.
hate bein the grinch...but I guess someone has to
