BB-Idaho Just Wrote a Comment on the Next Post Down about Christmas Trees and Tinsel and for some Reason this Comment Reminded me that it is time to Post Again and I Guess I'm Still Focused on Christmas. The Part of BB's Comment that I want to Respond to in this Post is...
"Christmas is a time of year when people cheer up and mellow out. Something we should probably do much more often."
As Odd as it may Seem to some of you, I'm not Really as much of a Christmas Fan as some. I Really Struggle with a Little Bit of a Buh Humbug Attitude throughout a lot of the Holiday. To me, Christmas is more a Time of Expectation, than of Genuine Cheer, for those who do Genuinely Enjoy the Holiday Expect that same Mood from those who are Less Cheery.
To Me, Christmas is a Time of Extreme Business in which Everything that has nothing to do with Christmas Needs to be Put on Hold while we Send Out Cards, Decorate our Houses, Go Shopping, Wrap Gifts, Bake, Clean House and Prepare for the Coming of Company. I've Tired so Hard to Get Past my Horrible Attitude about the Holidays and yet Every Single Year I go into that Same Trance, in which I just sort of Hold my Breath Until it's Over With.
So if I was to Respond to the Idea of "Cheering Up" and "Mellowing Out", my Response would be I Feel the Way I am Expected to and Do that which I am Expected to do and I "Mellow Out" because I'm too Busy to do Otherwise.
That was Probably more Negative than what you were Expecting, huh?
Well, I'll Tell you what I do Enjoy and that is the Christmas Programs and the Joy of the Day itself when it Finally Gets Here. Here is something that really Moved me this Year, even though it is just a Video and I did not Actually Experience it in Person. Apparently a Group of Unsuspecting Shoppers Got a Really Pleasant Surprise one Day in the Food Court at a Shopping Mall. These are the Type of Experiences that Actually Bring Tears to the Eyes.
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17 comments:
I love those flash mob things. I want to be in one.
That is a nice link, and it 'cheered' and 'mellowed'
me. Like the 'pagan' tree,
Handel is Christmas too.
On the depressing side, the
spontaneous chorus was in
Canada. We Americans are
too busy pushing past each other at our malls.
We do 25% of our annual spending during the Christmas season, many
get stressed out (seasonal
affective disorder), DUIs
increase and the incidence of house fires goes up.
So, your 'horrible attitude' is justified in that sense. It really isn't the fault of Christmas, though..its us.
Hey You,
Told jah I would be back. Just took me some time to "Mellow Out".
It's all good if we can look past the times we hafta git saucie.
The CHRIST is still there if we can choose to look for Him.
Wow! Thanks for the Comments, you Guys.
As to the Link, I Thought that was in Hawaii, but Perhaps it was in Canada. I don't Know. When I was in High School, I was a Part of a Group of "Chamber Singers" (16 of us, 8 Girls & 8 Guys). While on Tour in Hawaii, at Various Different Restaurants, Unannounced, Just Prior to Every Meal, we Sang the Lords Prayer, just as Rehearsed for Our Performances. Who Ever Happened to be at These Restaurants was Blessed to Hear the Show and Often they would Clap when we were done.
We Sang at the Airport too. It's Fun to see that Look of Surprise and Pleasure from the Strangers that are Present and this Fits so Well with the Spirit of Christmas. Don't you Think.
Christmas Songs do Seem to "Mellow" us. Interestingly when such is Playing, I Feel like being less Confrontive on the Blogs.
"We do 25% of our annual spending during the Christmas season."
Yes, isn't that Nuts? Just out of Protest, I'm Tempted Every Year to Buy all the Gifts just After Christmas and Celebrate it Late Deliberately, or Make a Really Big Deal Out of Easter Instead. You can Get Away with the Late Gift Idea with Girl Friends and I do. I just Say, I Bought you this Gift, but didn't have the Chance to Deliver it Until Now.
The Death Rate is also very High at Christmas Time. Those who are Sick have Trouble Hanging on in the Midst of all the Stress.
Oddly, I have an Easier Time Reflecting about the True Meaning of the Holiday after it is Over With and there is no more Left to do.
It Looks Like Christmas is Truly Upon me and I can not Put Off Doing what's Necessary any Longer, so if some of you are still Posting, I may not Get Everything Read. Oh well.
Welcome Back, Man of Wonder.
great video, lista.
Hi Griper,
Thanks. I'm Glad that you Liked it. Sorry that I have not Been Keeping Up with your Blog. It is Christmas. I'm Swamped and I'm Avoided anything at all that is Thought Provoking.
I guess I have a Secret Wish that all Blogs would Slow Down and we would all just Take a Break. You know, like sort of a Truce, yet I know that won't Happen. They've Slowed Down a Little, but for me, it has not been Enough and I'm not Reading some of them any more. Sorry that that has also Included you. I'll be by again when the Season is Over.
Come and Get me if you Decided to Post Comedy or Something more Light.
The video is from a mall in Canada at Niagra on the Lake.
A friend of mine knows a lot of the people who were in it and spent a lot of time in that food court when he was growing up...
Lista: I can relate to your state of mind during the holiday season as I used to feel that way when I was in the corporate world and stressed to the hilt. It’s amazing how wonderful I feel now that I only work 15 hrs a week! Plus I changed how I do things—meaning I try really hard to only do what I WANT as opposed to what I SHOULD. That SHOULD is a real stressor! Although there is one so-called gift I do under protest to keep “peace” for my husband’s sake! But that’s a story for another day. Anyway, I love the whole Christmas holiday now—the songs, shopping, wrapping and the decorating (Except this year my tree gave me trouble, ARGH! I didn’t lose my temper though!).
In my opinion, people need to do a “personal mind inventory” and determine what’s really “important”. There is too much stress during the entire year and to add to it during the holiday is just insane. When I lost my job and we “reset”, I was determined that I would not be stressed anymore because I’m convinced that’s what caused my health issues and I really think a lot of people are sick due to stress. It’s just not worth it. Too many people put too much into their jobs/careers and most of those jobs/bosses won’t honor them in the long run so it would be wise if people reassessed their lives and put things into perspective. I realize people need to work but not to the point of neglecting their families and themselves and especially their health—because you can never get that back, nor can you buy it, no matter how much money you have.
You need to do whatever you have to in order to feel good. In the end that’s what matters the most. If you’d rather celebrate after Christmas, go for it. My family did Christmas in February one year because my sister couldn’t come in from San Diego until then. We wrapped in Christmas paper and did a Christmas dinner, etc. It was the “Spirit of Christmas” and it was wonderful because we were all together and we love one another!
Lista, be true to you! And in the case where you feel the need to falter, as in the situation of my “so-called gift”, know WHY!
You are such a sweet-heart and I hope my book of a comment helped! If not, I should probably thank YOU, because I haven’t blogged or commented in awhile and I was going through withdrawal!
Pamala, Dave,
Thanks so much for your Comments. I Want to Respond, but I've go to Run and do my Christmas Cards, so I'll be by Later.
Thanks so much Everyone. I Love all of you. Merry Christmas.
Hello you Guys,
It is Hard to Explain my Christmas Attitude. It is almost like a Conditioned Response based on so many Bad Memories. It has to do with a lot of Stupid Stuff Like Arguing with my Husband Over what to Buy for People. Can you Imagine that? We don't Shop Well Together and had to Eventually Split up the List so that he can Buy for his Family and I could Buy for Mine.
Now that some Time has Passed, we don't buy as many Gifts, yet the Frustration of the Holiday Lingers anyway. Not Buying Gifts Carries with it another Kind of Sadness. Even though they Say that Gifts are not what the Holiday is About, Cooking Really isn't Supposed to be either.
I'm a Procrastinator too and this Carries with it Stress and the Crowded Stores are beginning to Bother me more than they Used to.
I Honestly don't Know what would Bring Joy to my Holiday. It's sort of a Mystery. Like I said, I do Enjoy the Christmas Programs and I guess this Year we will be Going to see the Nut Cracker. That Should be Fun.
I Think what is Hard for me is Just Making those Priority Decisions that are Necessary Every Year. I'd Like to do Everything and Make Everything Perfect, but I always have to Decide to do this and not that and Things are Never Perfect and I Don't Know, I'm just Like This Sometimes. That's just how I am.
Anyway, Thanks again for all the Comments. There are 6 Different People on this Comment Thread and because of it I am Feeling Really Loved, so Thanks again.
Christmas holidays are really difficult when the one you love most is seriously handicapped by a major illness. Such is the situation in this household.
Christmas means different things to different people.
I rather like the summation given by Patrick M. at 'Sane Political Discourse'...
"Which brings us to the final lesson. There is an inherent goodness in Man that transcends politics, race, class, age, philosophy, psychology, and the like. And Christmas, above all other holidays, is the personification of this."
Lista: Families can be rather difficult, even when they are your OWN. I do 95% of the shopping because my husband doesn’t like to shop. After 29 years together we’ve learned to compromise and one of those is that I only ask him to shop once in awhile and he will do it with an actual smile on his face. This year, however, I don’t think he’ll have to shop at all, although I did have to send him to buy tree lights! He compromises with other stuff, though, like my bossiness!
Like I said in my earlier comment, I compromised for the sake of his family, so I know what you mean there. If it were up to ME, I’d stop biting my tongue and have it DONE with. I’m not one to keep quiet! But he doesn’t like confrontation, and it’s not that I do, but I don’t like bottling stuff up either. So, for his sake, I just keep quiet. Now if this person says something directly TO me, I WILL say something back. So far only one thing has happened where I was able to do that.
Now, I totally agree that Christmas shouldn’t be about gifts, but I do so love to GIVE, however, it has caused me a lot of hurt in the past. I used to spend SO much time on a whole bunch of people but I made the HUGE mistake of “expecting” people to respond in a “certain” way and when they didn’t, I felt very hurt. I had to pull back and reevaluate myself and MY feelings and when I did that I dropped some off my list because I knew I’d never change them; I had to change ME. I will go out of my way now only for those who DO appreciate my efforts. Although I do this in my life in general now, because I found that there were people who were just sucking the life out of me and I couldn’t have that when I was working so hard on my emotional well-being.
I think it’s about balance, for one thing. It’s also about NOT feeling guilty. Too many people think they MUST do certain things or they will hurt someone’s feelings, etc., and that’s where a lot of the problems stem from—IMO. I think if people were to let go of some of the expectations, it might go a little easier. At least it did for me.
And here are some cyberhugs >> (( ))
Wow!! Thanks again you Guys. I'm Stressed by the Strangest Things at Times, such as the Reading of all of your Comments and then not Having the Time to Respond.
Thanks for the Cyberhugs, Pam. Hugs Right Back. Always Watching, I've got both you and Beth in my Prayers. BB, What you said is a Reflection of Humanism, but I'll Address that Later. Gotta' Run.
I love the flash mobs especially holiday time!!!:)
Well, We Finally Got the Cards done that I said I was going to Run and do Yesterday. Got Distracted Somehow, but Tonight they did get it Done, so Tomorrow we will Mail them on Our Way to Pick Up a Tree. Yes, we're Getting a Late Start. Oh well.
I Look Forward to Responding more, but have no Idea when it's going to Be. I'm Just Dropping in again, but this Time, I'm so Very Tired. I Look forward to Discussing Christmas and Trying Once again to Explain why I have this Bah Humbug Attitude.
Briefly, it might have something to do with the Fact that I am a Deep Thinker and Deep Thinking and Business don't Mix to Well. When I Say that I Hold my Breath Until it is Over With, I Think the Part of me that is Doing that is the Deep Thinker within me. It's not the End of the World. It's just something that Happens at this Time of Year.
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