“Gawd!” he sez to me last night, “I just hate this season, how 'bout you?”
“I wouldn't say hate,” I responded, “Indifference would be my default position on it.”
“Ah, good one!” he sez, “How 'bout the rest of ye?”
“Stressful.”
“Frantic.”
“Busy.”
“Unhappy.”
“Depressed.”
“Lonely.”
Not one person out of about twenty around us said:
Happy.
Joyful.
Content.
Peaceful.
“For Gawd's sake,” I said, “Why don't ye all pay attention to those ads and commercials and follow the instructions, like?”
I got a laugh, I did.
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PS My interwebz got unbelievably worse, now offering me days of no connection due to too many users on the system, so forgive me if I'm not visiting you as much as I'd like or responding to comments. I am seriously considering going back to dial-up and twice weekly visits to my favourite WIFI cafe. Desperation-top-of-the-line letters to the premier of this province go unanswered. And right she is - why should the Blackberried One care about her peasants?
I think dislike is my default position on it. Hate is too strong an emotion and I'm not quite indifferent. I dislike the false sentiments that I'm supposed to feel. All through the magic of commercialism that's showved down out throats. Even here in the Netherlands we can't get away from it. We've gotten on the band wagon.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain about the wifi. I hope you asked your supplier for a refund. Try the 'false trading' line and see if it makes a difference.
ReplyDeleteHo, Ho, *()&ing Ho. Come on January.
ReplyDeletethe season grows on me. it's harder and harder to get into it, but i still do...
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about this season, very much enjoying the social whirl, trying to ignore postal deadlines for mailing packages to farflung grandchildren, looking forward to xmas community dinner, hating the rain (!!!), dreading the January bills, hiding from dreadful memories of xmases-past. I too look forward to January.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who tells all his friends out west how awful the internet access here is (he lies, we actually have decent access) in hopes of discouraging western friends from moving here and spoiling paradise, as easterners moving west have already done to his west coast home town.
It's hard to see how people can genuinely enjoy themselves when we're all drowning in the commercial "give, decorate, stuff yourself" hype of "the festive season." Whatever happened to quiet relaxation?
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling, WWW. I have been dreading Christmas for the past 3 years. I am hoping at some point it will regain some of it's joy for me...I used to love it!
ReplyDeleteI don't watch television or listen to the radio and there is a DND on my cellphone. Only the print media and the fliers that are inserted in them by the newspaper distributor trouble me but I don't read them.
ReplyDeleteThe first Season's Greetings phone call came just today and it was nice talking to that very old friend who is a great Baritone choir singer. I have promised to visit the town he stays in and listen to him in the new year.
I don't celebrate any festivals and everyone knows it and so, very few ask me these questions. My answer is always, "Every day is a festival for me." Things however are tough this year and the fervor is simply not there yet. Shops report poor footfalls. May be it will pick up.