Am I the Grinch?!?!?

[DJDM]

Christmas has me really down this year. I actually wish it were not happening right now. Can we get some sort of postponement? Just till after the New Year? I guess not. I have been sick for over two weeks now with the most potent cold that I can remember. I have done very little shopping and every time I talk to someone they are asking me what I want for Christmas. Know what I think when that question comes up? "Great... now I have to give you something." How's that for Christmas spirit? I have a feeling that I am going to get a visit from the Marley's ghost any night now as I lay feverishly trying to beat this flu. My solution to get in the swing every year is to make a "Christmas" CD of my current crop of music for all of my relatives and friends. I have been working on it but my time has been so limited that it may be running late this year. I also always question this gift as possibly too self indulgent as it is MY music. Will this not disappoint the little ones? (Well, for the really little ones I do get separate gifts) Won't the older folks just file this in a drawer somewhere with all of the tapes and CDs that I have given them in the past? Then I have this great girlfriend. She just moved in and is really excited about this Christmas. She has been to the store repeatedly for gifts and is even making my parents a hand painted ceramic plate... "Hey mom and dad, here is another CD to remind you of why I did not go to college and become a wealthy doctor." Oooog. I do know that there are WAY worse things than having people around that love you and I know that I am fortunate and this may all just be the Nyquil talking but... How is your Christmas shaping up? - DJDM

[Felix_dup1]

Our Christmas is a mixed bag this year. In hopes that I would have accepted a new job offer by now, we put our house on the market. It sold quickly, so as of Friday, we're "homeless." So I'm packing up the house and headed to Texas with my wife and two kids, where we'll arrive in time to spend the holidays with our numerous relatives there. In the meantime, the little black cloud of unemployement is still over my head. Not knowing where I'll be working or where we'll end up living is pretty stressful, not to mention not having that paycheck any more, or medical insurance for that matter. Christmas gifts? The kids will get a couple, but nothing for extended family. They'll understand, as they know our situation, but I'd rather be participating more in the spirit of giving. Hang in there DJDM, hope you feel better and that it turns out to be a cool holiday overall. We could both be doing much worse than we are.

[DJDM]

Thanks Felix. Your right of course. I understand about the employment issues. I am in a transition myself from one company to another. It is going well but there are always those nagging doubts. Hope Texas turns out to be golden for you! At least the kids will have all of the relatives to bounce off of! That will be nice for awhile. Have a warm Texas style Christmas. Do you leave a steamin bowl of chilli out for Santa down there? :) - DJDM

[patrick_dont_fret]

Well, your avatar is of a devil chick. Maybe you are satan incarnate or something? I'm not. I just don't like Christmas. Always gets me down. Anywho, I just want to wish y'all a happy Chanukah and a Merry Xmas. Whatever. Tis all good, though.

[DJDM]

The devil girl is compliments of Selena, my GF and I don't travel without either of them but I am not the devil himself. ;) Just a typical guy with bunched up insides over the holidays. Thanks Patrick. Merry Xmas to you too. - DJDM

[Midimonk]

DJDM, Hang in there buddy,times are tough,but it always gets better:).Myself, i ve been jobless for four months now,to get by i've sold just about everything i own(computer,mic's, and just got finished w/ a divorce to boot).Sure it makes it hard to be "jolly", but if you keep your spirits strong life will take it's course and you never know whats around the next corner. :thu: Have a great holiday and never forget the healing power of a smile that comes from the inside. Merry X-mas, Midimonk

[DJDM]

Thanks Midimonk. Sorry to hear about the big "D". That can be a real bear but you seem to be handling it OK. Best of luck finding a new job in '03. Hey! You should consider giving CDs to people for Christmas. It's very cost effective. It works for me... well sort of. ;)

[The Bear Jew]

Yo... I personally dislike the holidays as well. They depress me. I'd like to hide somewhere while this stuff happens, and then come home to find everything normal. Unfortunately, too many people want to bother me during the holidays, so I can't... I just try to be nice to everyone and wait the whole mess out. Eventually, people start acting like themselves again.

[patrick_dont_fret]

Hey CMDN, stop taking showers for a while, and start wearing patchouli oil. They'll definitely start leaving you alone. Especially with your dreads. You'll be hip(pie)esque, or whatever. I dunno, leave me alone.

[DJDM]

Hey CMDN If you follow Patrick's advice you can probably get a lot of extra space in your social calendar all year long! Food for thought...

[patrick_dont_fret]

Hey, it was just a joke. C'mon, guys. Can't you take a joke?

[Duhduh]

[quote]Originally posted by DJDM: [b]...every time I talk to someone they are asking me what I want for Christmas. Know what I think when that question comes up? "Great... now I have to give you something." How's that for Christmas spirit?[/b][/quote]Man! I hear that!

[DJDM]

Word! I am feeling a little less Grinchlike today. Still behind schedule but my cold is abating and I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Actually that is probably New Years eve that I am seeing and being able to drink my self into oblivion sounds really good about now. But, hey, isn’t that what the holidays are all about? ;) Thanks all, - DJDM

[Veracohr]

Not to worry, DJDM, I'll take the title off your shoulders. I dislike the holiday season in general, not just this year. Though it's really just about Christmas in America. Without that, I would be just fine with the holiday season. Even with my Grinchiness, I still feel some little pressure to give gifts. I don't, because I can't afford to, but I feel the pressure anyway. For me, that's a reason not to. I say, if I give a gift because I want to, fine and dandy, but if I feel obligated, they ain't gettin' one. If you don't get someone a gift, don't worry about it, but let them know you care about them (if you do, of course), and spend some time with them if you can. Getting stuff is cool, but so is spending time with people you care about.

[Wewus432]

The problem I have with Christmas is it starts too early. Right after freaking Halloween they start with all this bullshit. I like Christmas for about 1 or two weeks and I think that should be the max. When they start playing Christmas carols in October I get sick of them, but I like Christmas, I really do. Sometimes though it just becomes another job you have to do and that sucks. Giving [b]SHOULD[/b] come from the heart, when you're just going through the motions, what's the point? So my proposal IS, no one should even mention Christmas until two weeks before, which would be the 12th. Then we could all get into it and buy our presents and spend time with our families and not have to obsess on all this bullshit for an extended time. All this extension of the season is driven by retailers, and people are so damn stupid they just fall in line. It's retarded to waste so much time and energy on one little holiday. So, I'm asking people to stop celebrating Christmas right after Halloween or even right after Thanksgiving. We all have lives to live and it's a disruption to have this one thing be such a focus. Allright then, see ya tonight Marley.

[Roto]

You guys are no fun! [img]http://www.accesscinema.ie/images/scrooge.gif[/img] Bah! Humbug! My family made an agreement years ago to quit exchanging Christmas gifts. It makes the whole thing much more enjoyable. I highly recommend it :thu:

[Wewus432]

You're right Roto. It's all this mandatory gift giving that stresses people out and makes them feel bad.

[Sylver]

LOL, I gave up on the whole Christmas things years ago. My friends know I'm poor, so they don't expect anything, and my wife takes care of the kids and the relatives. I just have to buy for her.

[patrick_dont_fret]

[quote] All this extension of the season is driven by retailers, and people are so damn stupid they just fall in line. It's retarded to waste so much time and energy on one little holiday. [/quote]Word up, homie. It is truly stoopid. [quote] So, I'm asking people to stop celebrating Christmas right after Halloween or even right after Thanksgiving. We all have lives to live and it's a disruption to have this one thing be such a focus. [/quote]Thing is, these people don't have lives. It's all about how much money they can spend, and how fast they can spend it. For me, people ask what I want and they get a blank stare. That is mostly because I'm such a stoner, but also because my brain switches off after they utter the word "what" before something about wanting something for Christmas. I think we need to follow Europe's example...they are also a lot less Puritan in everything. [quote] Allright then, see ya tonight Marley. [/quote]Dood, what's up, mon. So where we meetin', mon?

[thisDude]

Christmas gets me down too. I like the idea of families getting together to celebrate their faith, but this year especially it just seems like a consumer-driven orgy with Santa as a fluffer. Did anyone notice how early all the retailers decked the halls this year? I saw Santas in the mall before Thanksgiving! Must have something to do with the economy. Are people programmed to consume when they see shiny bells and tinsle or am I the one being the grinch?

[Veracohr]

[quote]Originally posted by thisDude: [b]I like the idea of families getting together to celebrate their faith[/b][/quote]Hah! How long has it been since Christmas was really about faith? 100 years?

[RobT]

Wewus - you summed it up perfectly. I have no problem with faith and family this time of year. I try and focus on the real reason for the season... But, the mass consumpution orgy that goes on year after year to make the corporate numbers for the year does wear one down sometimes. Buy, buy, buy and buy some more. Gimme a break! Hope I'm Grinching everybody out....

[DJDM]

So is anyone feeling a little more "holidayish" now that the day itself is upon us? I for one feel a little better. Got my CDs finished and have not had a drop of the demon Nyquil in over a week! Headed off to my parent's place tonight for Christmas eve stress but it all ends pretty early and then it is off to another location for more holiday stress. Can't wait. :rolleyes: But I do feel healthy for the first time in about a month! How does everyone feel about celebrating "Festivus" instead next year? Merry Christmas or a Festivus for the rest of us? I would post a poll but, really, there have been enough of those... Have a good/merry whatever! - DJDM ;)

[Tedster]

[quote]Originally posted by Roto: [b]You guys are no fun! [img]http://www.accesscinema.ie/images/scrooge.gif[/img] Bah! Humbug! My family made an agreement years ago to quit exchanging Christmas gifts. It makes the whole thing much more enjoyable. I highly recommend it :thu: [/b][/quote]By the way, I'll be dropping by tonight...along with the ghost of Bob Marley, Patrick, and Dak. A solution to Christmas blues about overcommercialism is to search yourself about the true meaning of Christmas...do something crazy, like volunteer at a soup kitchen. Or, y'know, even have Christmas dinner at a soup kitchen. Even if you can afford to pamper yourself...just get a look at the people who can't. I remember one year, I had to make a delivery at a church that had a soup kitchen. A lady grabbed me as I was leaving and made me sit down and eat. I tried to protest, not sure if it was "Hey, this is for people who can't afford to eat" or more self-pride that was telling me not to, y'know, "I'm not one of these people". The lady, God bless her, wouldn't hear of it until I'd sat down and had some of the best homemade soup I've ever had. And some pleasant conversation with some people that I probably wouldn't have gone out of my way to talk to before. I came away with a really warm feeling, much warmer than just from the soup. "God bless us, each and every one"...

[not coaster MODERATOR]

mmmmm.. why do I suddenly feel like a bowl of French onion soup??

[Duhduh]

Yes. The Wewus summed it all up.

[G. Ratte]

Man. Most of you guys are being big ol' downers. Symbolic stuff means whatever you want it to. If you don't wanna be stressed out by gifts or something, then DON'T. You think there's too much crass commercialism, then IGNORE IT. la la la! I've been reading a lot more historical religious stuff in the past few years and becoming more uh, "spiritually aware" I think. I'm way more into Christmas these days, and it means a lot more to me. Things I think might be lame about "The Church" or commercialism don't bother me much anymore, 'cuz I feel like I've got my own head pretty together on that stuff and that's all I can fix... my own headspace. I got some time off from work and I'm back in my hometown, seeing my folks. Visiting old friends I only see once a year if even that much. Maybe we'll go hang out at the truckstop diner and drink hot chocolate and talk all night. I enjoy shopping for presents and giving people stuff, I think it's fun. Almost always cheap, weird, unexpected things. People dig fake Rolexes and iced-out jewelry from Chinatown in NYC. Or some candy or something. A box of doughnuts is a great present. Who doesn't like doughnuts?! When I'm alone though, I'll think about Jesus and the Essenes and the Romans and what was going on back then. Then relate that to the here and now and how I fit in there somehow. As for my atheist friends, I don't know what to say to them really. Sure, have a great Christmas and all, December 25th wooh yeah! But it's a Christian holiday no matter how you slice it. "Have a nice day"? What are atheists celebrating? That it's cool to give people stuff and be nice? That's valid, sure. But if they're just going through the motions 'cuz they feel it's socially expected of them, then that's just sad and wrong. In that case, they'd be better off taking a stand and saying "Nah, I ain't celebrating anything." Nobody expects a Jew to make a fuss over Christmas. If somebody's not into the concept (like, say, your average American who might be "Christian" by default but doesn't really believe in spirituality), then they should just sit it out entirely. This half-assed stuff just leads to repressed bitterness and hypocrisy which I think a lot of the fussing is about.