Thursday, December 20, 2007

Holiday Spirit???

I love my family, and I love having holidays with them. Especially since the Nephews have come into our lives.

But I hate the holiday season. Don't get me wrong it's not the season itself but the way people react to it.

Every time I have to go somewhere in public during this time of year, I feel like I should put on a full set of tactical gear and go in shouting "I don't care about the damn Elmo, I just want some eggs!"

Everyone gets so hyped up on getting the most popular gift, and so stressed out, every store is just a pressure cooker full of stress and anxiety.

I'm normally fine in crowds. I pay attention to my surroundings, but I don't get stressed out about a crowd. Except this time of year.

This time of year everywhere you turn someone is yelling into their cell phone about how the store is out of that special gift that they absolutely had to have and Christmas is ruined! Or kids screaming their heads off because mommy or daddy won't buy them that toy now now now! Or forty seven people all trying to get down the same aisle behind the one person in the county who isn't in a major hurry, and cussing about it.

It makes me want to strangle people.

It doesn't help that I know I'll be spending Christmas day at my aunt's house. My grandpa on Farmmom's side, and one of my uncles and his family, I love to death, they're fantastic.

Unfortunately, Farmmom has two sisters and another brother. Christmas day is a four star show in subtle snark and upscale snobbery.

But I get Farmmom's undying gratitude for going, and I'm usually not required to make conversation. One year I said exactly three words to anyone but Farmmom or Grandpa, and no one seemed to notice. Those words? "Pass the potatoes."

I regretted them, too. Those potatoes were lousy.

6 comments:

Farmmom said...

I remember the comment you made year before last.
"I think someone has had a little too much holiday spirits"
That one got some attention. Of course you about made your grandfather choke on his turkey.

FarmGirl said...

Hey, that snark just slipped out, and it was totally justified!

I'll just be glad if we can get through it this year without Farmdad mooing at someone.

Farm.Dad said...

Hey now !! that was a long time ago, and besides i was only talking to your aunt in her native tongue so to speak .

Dante_C said...

This sounds like when the grandparents (on my mother's side) used to come round ... My grandmother and biological father never used to get on ... something about looking at each being like looking into a mirror and not liking what you see according to my mother.

So Christmas is either solo (like this year) or with the parents in France (like last year) with no interference from annoying grandmother and definitely no input from the person who supposedly donated half my genetics

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of what somebody said about Thanksgiving... that families who haven't been together in a long time getting together and remembering why. Thankfully, this isn't true of all members of all families.

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of visiting with most of Daddy's side of the family. Most everybody there was happy to have the opportunity to visit.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and the deal about shopping... everybody seems like they think I should go... forget it. The malls seem like they're worse than a rugby match and I don't feel like watching it much less wading in.