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The Holidays
Is anyone as ambivalent about the holidays as I am these days? I think that the holidays were partly ruined by college and grad school papers and finals. For me, the final nails in the coffin were the lean holiday seasons when I was working for myself and no one wanted to spend money on lawyers. Things would always pick up in January, but the holidays were rough. I'll always remember this one particular holiday season when I thought finances would be good, but then a client skipped on a $3500.00 fee.
Besides the money (which isn't a problem anymore since I work for someone else), holidays are crappy when you don't have much family left. I'm at the point now when I usually just want to get through the season as quickly as possible. If I could fastwind through it, I would.
Does anyone else have the holiday depressions or is it just me?
Besides the money (which isn't a problem anymore since I work for someone else), holidays are crappy when you don't have much family left. I'm at the point now when I usually just want to get through the season as quickly as possible. If I could fastwind through it, I would.
Does anyone else have the holiday depressions or is it just me?
Comments
The only good parts of the holiday season are getting time off, and spending more time with friends and family than with work. Of course, evil jobs don't give nearly enough time off. Thanksgiving day, Black Friday, Christmas Day, New Years Day. That's it. Why are employer's so cruel? If I was a boss, December 18th would be the final day of work for the year, and I wouldn't expect anyone back until January 4th.
Obviously this will never happen, but I think it would actually be hugely beneficial to everyone including employers. It would create more jobs, because you would need to hire more people since existing employees would be out more often. People would have a lot more leisure time, resulting in increased money spent on travel and leisure goods. And, of course, everyone would be happier and healthier, and thus more productive during the time they are actually working.
I also think that you shouldn't be allowed to make any person work for more than 8 hours per day. Overtime must be absolutely optional at all times. If you aren't getting the work done, then either you didn't hire enough employees, your employees are no good, or you are assigning too much work with too close a deadline. There is no reason to overwork people.
Yeah, it will never happen, but still.
Alright, so that's a pipe dream, but it's the sort of answer a kid would give, and isn't the innocence of youth adorable?
On a related note, my mom is giving me grief again about being an atheist, saying that I shouldn't celebrate christmas, etc., etc.... She's done this every year since I came out about it. Good grief charlie brown...
How much better is Halloween? You don't have all the family crap/pressure, and you can actually have fun.
This sux. I'm really beginning to dread this time of year.
Edit: I just looked at a calendar. At least Christmas gives us a three day weekend this year. Also, there's that new Sherlock Holmes movie that doesn't look like total fail. Furthermore, I'm getting a raise that will kick in right about that time. I'm just trying to see the bright side, and I'm usually not a bright side person. I usually say the glass is half full, but the liquid inside is poison, and it tastes like shit.
The thing that I like about it is that it is a scheduled time for family gatherings. I have a large extended family, so it becomes like a big yearly party. If I didn't have that group, (family for Christmas, FRC for New Years) I would be pretty apathetic about the whole thing. I like festivals, but Christmas in particular is so commercial and manic that people have nervous breakdowns all the time because of the stress. I think that it should never get to the point where a thing that is supposed to be fun and relaxing becomes this major headache to prepare for. I get so sick of the poppy carols on the radio, but simple decorations and lights are pretty - It feels like any other winter festival. (Blow up Santas can die in a fire, though.) I think these sort of traditions are okay, because they lend a different feeling to the passage of seasonal time, but I am so overwhelmed by Black Friday craziness and the "culture war" arguments that I can't enjoy it.
I agree with Scott about the gift thing. It's strange, but I care less about material goods during holidays (Christmas Presents, Halloween Candy) and more about the experience. If we did the same thing on midsummer, and lit up little candles, and had a big feast, that would be sufficient to make me happy. I want to celebrate all the seasons. Maybe I'll become a new-age fake pagan and invent some made up solstice nature holidays. (Provided they have big gatherings and cookies)
I also agree with you about the material things. I don't mind buying for anyone else, but when I receive something, I'm really embarassed. Also, I honestly can't think of anything that I want that would be within reason for a gift. I mean, sure . . . I'd like a Rolex, but I'd be a real jerk if I asked for something like that as a gift. Also, the desire I have for a Rolex is vastly overwhelmed by the desire I have to just have some peace and quiet. So, I'll probably receive something I don't even really want, which will make me feel guilty both because it's yet another material posession, and because I don't feel sufficiently grateful for it.
Did I say that I would kill the people responsible for Feliz Navidad? Are there any other Christmas songs in particular that you can't stand to listen to yet another time? I liked Happy Christmas (War Is Over) the first time I heard it - IN 1971!!!, but it became old somewhere around the 1,289th time I heard it. It has been played to death. Please, can't we get through this season without playing that song a hundred times?
We should make it a new FRC tradition.
This year there wont be a usual Christmas. Not like the ones I used to know. Since it's supposedly not scripture so there wont be any usual Christmas. Like the gifts wont be wrapped and I think no decor and stuff. Christan or not it makes me a bit sad. But of course when I speak up the general consensus is 'Why do you care. You're not a believer.'
I'm just sad it wont be the same with my family. I want to spend Christmas with them, but I'll be sorta depressed.
Also, working in retail during the holidays is hell. Add the fact that it's in Pier 1 and I have been surrounded by Christmas since before Halloween. Music and all!
I do enjoy some of the campy Christmas music as well, though. It is fun and silly.
And that the fat guy was one of the seven lucky Gods.