Now life can return to 'normal'.
Christmas and New Year are for me a time to get through rather than enjoy.
There's nothing on television of interest other than repeats along the same theme.
All my friends are off doing stuff and out of circulation.
I repeated get hailed with what I find to be stupid statements to which I'm supposed to give a reply:
"Happy Christmas ! " - what does this actually mean? Is it a command or has someone got a magic wand.
Does it not stem from an unreal expectation that life at this time has a different set of rules.
"Did you have a good Christmas?"
Is my answer "yes" - because I more or less succeeded to ignore the event? - It did give me time to do other things like begin to tidy up and prepare new projects; like enjoy a quieter world with shops closed and few people on the roads and public places. The weather provided an opportunity for much more meaningful activity. Thank you, weather, for giving us some problems to work together on - a kick in the teeth to challenge our humdrum way of thinking and now some problems that will tax our 'system' to the extreme. - Some people may even start to feel that they need to effect a change and do some serious rethinking.
Or was it "No" - because it made little difference to me and I'm glad this farce is all over?
I can honestly now look forward to 'life back to normal' which is something I love and can look forward to rather this visit I've had inflicted on me from another world that most of my sane friends seem to get dragged into rather unwillingly.
Now all we've got to get through is perhaps a week of this New Year lark and bliss - 'normality'.
7 comments:
Happy New Year Geoff
JAK
Tell your friends you intend to spend 2011 finding better friends.
Gauge their reaction: do they seem at all sad? If not, well done, you got out with your dignity intact. You jumped before you were pushed. People respect that. Ruthlessness is an endearing quality. New friends are just around the corner.
Stick to the Ethiopian calendar and celebrate New Year on 11 September.
how is that ?
An event up the Gill perhaps?
JAK
I like it.
When you take risks it is dangerous but if you persist it pays off in the end.
The friends worth having are those that cope with your ' difficult ' side.
Being honest pays off in the end.
After all there are plenty of potential friends about - some of them have only just arrived in Ulverston. Worth making a low key approach if you've got the time to give them a bit of concentrated attention.
Some work out great, some are near misses!
After careful planning, I managed to burn the Christmas dinner. Not on purpose but it served as a reminder of what is really important whether Christmas Day or any other time.
It so happened my sister rang just before the dinner was ready to leave the oven. A quick word or ring back later? No, my sister was on her own. She needed to talk. Time went by. Then family arrived — greeting important. Dinner remembered. On opening the oven door, smoke told me we were going to have a burnt offering. But all went well. A few days ago I visited an old friend with dementia. Did it make a difference to his life like listening to my sister makes a difference to ours? Probably not, but it makes a difference to his loved ones to know friends still treat him as a friend.
Letters and cards at Christmas link family and old friends. Time to remember blessings, the good times and unhappy ones. To recall those no longer with us, to remember them in gratitude. And if I were to wish you happiness (however you yourself might interpret that) in 2011, it would be said with sincerity — perhaps even picturing you mounting many pieces of pottery on railings or producing photos of delightful pottery pieces here on your web site. Yes, seeing you smiling in contentment with things achieved.
I enjoy the Christmas lighting in the darkest days of the year and seeing happy faces as people greet each other, or chat together in the street. Yes, and feel the pain of those who have lost loved ones, especially at this time of the year. (So many now as we get older.) They are not forgotten.
Present-giving is now out of hand but the Christmas message is simple and costs nothing. The giving of oneself and (importantly too) the accepting of what is being given to us. You don't have to be religious to accept love and friendship. Or a simple message expressing goodwill. Thank you, Geoff for offering me friendship this past year. For giving me the chance to 'potter' and join in other things had I so desired. Yes, you can be annoying (who can't be?) But may your graciousness in the giving of yourself bring you happiness throughout the years ahead.
Many thanks for your sincere comment, it is much appreciated.
I think my apprehension about Christmas is that we pack so much emotion and activity into a small time span.
This leaves me with the feeling that a lot of it is artificial and lacks sincere thought.
If contacts with people are important at Christmas, why not during the rest of the year.
If we enjoy the warm feelings of friendliness at Christmas, why not during the rest of the year.
Can't we spread some the activity over a longer period so that it reoccurs in a genuine way throughout the year ?
It's interesting that Christmas is followed immediately by the New Year when the theme is to reassess what is important to us.
I'm certainly doing this.
Let's have the emotional courage to stick by what our reason tells us would be an improvement. To ditch the rubbish and favour what is really important to us.
Then there will be a lot of contented, honest, straightforward people about who we can understand more easily, and hence relate to more effectively.
We can at the same time say goodbye to the relationships that drain us of energy.
HUZZHA HUZZAH HIP HIP HUZZAH
Nicely put Gladys lovely comments
You being annoying Geoff never. Honest yes. Others may become irritated as a result tough old world
JAK
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