Hi there. How's things been in your neck of the woods? Enjoying summer? Yeah, me too.
Yeah...I know. Its been a minute. No, no. Nothing like that. I've had PLENTY to say, almost daily a post writes itself in my head...but as you can see hasnt made it onto this here blog as of yet. Honestly? Most of it probably wont for a few reasons. A lot of what I want to talk about (or I guess lets be real - bitch about) are things that are not necessarily appropriate fodder for all that visit me here to read. I've spent a lot of time lately stuck in my own head. Luckily, and thanks in part to the Mister, I figured that part out and am sorting through how to get the fuck out of my own head and am making some progress. And when my news is less "Oh Miss Mindy's in a funk lets all talk about it" and more "Wooooo! Miss Mindy's back to herself lets celebrate!" I will be sure to share. When in a funk Im not a talker. Its hard to talk when you've got your head down and you are barrelling through some bullshit.
So to my title. Judgy McJudgerson.
Seems to be a lot of that going around lately and its pissing me off. I've been seeing it on Twitter, FaceBook (the 3 times I visit there a week), amongst my employees & coworkers, out and about and just in general.
Knock it the fuck off people.
I say that with love but really, stop.
Ah dear sweet kettle, tis I, the pot, and I am here to call your judgy ass out!!!!
Really there is no need though. I thought at first that there was just more of it maybe, that I was dealing with, talking to, spending time with or hired a few people that greatly increased the amount of judgy going on in my world. Then I wasnt able to STOP seeing/hearing it. It was everywhere. I was a part of it at times. This needed to stop. I am not claiming perfect, that would be a lie, but I am trying and I cant ask for more than that.
A guy on Twitter making fun of some woman's beat ass car she put a Club on - yeah because you know her story. For all you know she could be a single mother of 4 who lives in a shit neighborhood and that piece of shit car that you so graciously looked down your nose at is her ONLY way to get food on the table for her kids. On the flip side she could also be a crackhead. My point is you DONT know, so STFU. I know at one point in my life I drove the only car I could afford and it was a total piece of shit. I hope no one judged me based on that. Or my glorious duct tape bumper :-)
Read a blog, multiple posts actually, written by a perpetually single guy who in my opinion has the personality of a 70 year old cranky man. {I dont know why I continue to read it other than its still in my reader and I dont know how to delete it} He spent multiple posts talking about relationships, of which he isnt in one, and marriage, which he has never been in, and telling people in those situations what to do and how to do it better. Right. And your single ass is an authority on EITHER topic how? Oh yes. Youre not. But still feel free to judge & offer opinions stated as fact to those of us that are because you are such an authority, right? No. How about you stick to what you know, or even better get off your high horse and realize just because you think it doesnt make you right. Reading Cosmo doesnt make you an authority on relationships, being a "therapist" to your neurotic friends doesnt make you the next Freud and having a keyboard doesnt give you the right to judge people and situations you dont know. Aside: Who asked you for your opinion & advice anyway?
Guy gets into a fight with his GF, puts his arm though a window and fucked himself up good. Thankfully he is doing well and thats awesome, but overheard the comment "well if hes got that kind of temper he just wont work in this situation". Really? Because you've never had a moment of bad judgment when in a rage? Because you always make the best decision regardless the circumstances? Sure you do....and I'm Santa-motherfuckin-Claus.
I could list hundreds more - these are just the 3 that have been gnawing away at me. All I am saying is think before you speak. Yes, sometimes snark is good for quick laugh - but would you want someone to say that about you? Would you want to have the entirety of your existence evaluated based upon the stupid things you've done?
I doubt it. I know I sure as shit wouldnt.
If we all just made a little bit of effort to stop judging people. To stop eying them up & down trying to figure them out. Stopped trying to make other feel worse so that we can feel better. Stopped thinking that we are better than anyone else. Just stopped.
News Flash - we are all human. Get over it.
The world would be a kinder place for one. And a more peaceful place for another. I know it will never stop completely - it is human nature for myself as well - but you will be amazed if you stop for just 2 seconds how m any things you WONT say or type.
I am going to keep trying. And even when I fail I'll try again. Im not delusional. I know the judging will never stop. All I ask is that we all think about the shitty things we send out into the universe before we send them and maybe instead of judging a person try to empathize a little bit or at the very least just shut up.
I know damn well Im not perfect, I do and say stupid things every effing day. Im pretty sure all of us are flawed in one way or another, so get over it. Not everyone thinks driving a sweet car is important. Not everyone thinks that success is measured by checking account balance. Money and the willingness or ability to spend it doesnt make you better or your opinions more valid than anyone elses. Who are you to judge anyone?
There is nothing so spectacular about me or what I do that makes me feel I should be judging anyone. I have done nothing in or with my life that makes me superior to anyone. I think these statements are true for everyone. Money doesnt buy class, importance or will it validate your existence. The ability to open your mouth and speak doesnt automatically make your opinion more valid than mine.
Bottom line - the only person made to look stupid by pointless judging - the person doing the judging. And I, for one, am going to be better at NOT judging. Care to join me? I wont judge you if you decide not to :-)
Totally Unrelated - I AM STILL A NONSMOKER!!!!!!
Showing posts with label Opinions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinions. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
To Beer or Not to Beer?
Got into an interesting conversation on Twitter last night started by Craft Pittsburgh Magazine.
(shameless plug: I write the Cooking with Beer feature for this fantabulous new Craft Beer magazine that is available at a lot of great bars in & around the area. If you're into beer & into Pittsburgh grab one. Its a great read & my recipes are pretty awesome)
It all started with this Tweet:
Would you let your teen drink #craftbeer as a way to learn respect for alcohol, before they're pressured into binge drinking by peers? 14 hours ago · reply · retweet · favorite
It was a lively and interesting conversation with a couple people with some different opinions. But it stuck in my head, as some things will do upon occasion. I will preface with this as well: I do not now nor do I ever plan to have children. I also am not telling anyone how to raise theirs ~ it's quite frankly none of my damn business what anyone chooses to do with or to their kids. That being said I am an intelligent human being who is also entitled to have an opinion about whatever I would like to.
I'm a pretty decent arguer. I dont get personal (most of the time) and can argue my points intelligently and thankfully those that were participating in this back & forth were as well. What it came down to was 2 very different perspective on the topic of introducing kids to alcohol early.
If the parents take the initiative to make responsible alcohol consumption a part of their growing up you de-taboo it, make it less of a "big deal" when they get into peer pressure situations and therefore greatly reduce the chances of your kid having issues with the teenage binge drinking that we all know occurs. If you teach them about things like Craft Beer, teach them to appreciate it and respect it, you will, by default, teach them to be responsible about it. Appreciation + Knowledge = Responsibility. I know this isnt a fail safe way of looking at it at all; some people will abuse alcohol no matter the amount of education or knowledge you try to impart - but I would also assume that as a parent who knows their child that you would also know if your child has tendencies toward that kind of addictive behavior. This theory is based up on a "normal" parenting situation; the parents drink responsibly and not in excess and they would want to impart these same values in their kids.
The comparisons offered here were mostly food related. You develop your pallet throughout your life based on what you are exposed to and what you experience. This is true for food, beer, wine, liquor and the earlier you start the more developed the pallet will be. Some said this was an invalid argument, but it isnt. If you teach a child from toddler age that there is more to food than peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and American cheese you will teach them to eat real food and develop life-long eating habits that revolve around a balanced diet ~ not McDonalds. The same can be said for alcohol. If you teach from their teen years responsible consumption you will create life-long habits about drinking behaviors and the taste for quality over quantity.
The opposing argument was less about the social responsibility of earlier education, we were all pretty much in agreement about that, and more to the end that teenagers couldnt appreciate the nuances of craft beer specifically without the binge drinking of their youth. That in order to appreciate the best you had to experience the worst. This is flawed logic to me. I didnt have to drink Mad Dog to appreciate the aroma & flavor of a delicious Bordeaux; I dont have to drink Old English to appreciate an Orval. I can refer back to my boss' kids. All three were taught about beer at a very early age, it wasnt taboo, they were allowed to try it and find out what they liked and what they didnt. Two of them are in college now and neither is particularly interested in Frat Boy Keggers. Yes...they will still go because thats what college kids do...but they cant stomach drinking flat Coors Light from a warm keg in any kind of excess. They have an appreciation for & have developed a pallet for good beer. With this comes better control, better decision making and removes the desire to drink until they black out on some shitty Macro.
In the opinion of my opposed debaters development of the pallet & a more nuanced education about alcohol and the social responsibility of teaching about safe alcohol consumption were 2 totally different subjects; in my mind they are not. One in turn breeds the other. If you teach about flavor, aroma, quality and the nuances of any alcohol, craft beer for this particular argument, you will teach respect for the beverage and its effects on an individual, respect for the beverage will equate to more responsible choices which will lead to less binge drinking by teenagers.
I never got into this part on twitter because, well, 1) I was tired and it was late, 2) I honestly grew tired of the illogical place the discussion was headed - debates are only fun to me when both sides are argued logically and 3) hard to express a full opinion in 140 characters; But I can equate this argument to sex education. Is it better to teach abstinence ~ cross your fingers and hope like hell your kids listen to you and do what you know you yourself probably didnt no matter what your parents told you or to teach them about honest sex education and give them the tools to make sure they are safe and understand the risks & consequences involved with doing what you know they are going to do anyway?
Yes...it would be lovely if it was as easy as telling them "no sex until you're married" and "no drinking until you're 21"...but be realistic. Did you do that? Did you wait until you were married to have sex? Did you not let a sip of alcohol pass your lips before your 21st birthday? For a few folks yes, both of those statements may be true...but for most of us, myself included, they are both so totally false they hurt. So knowing that, knowing that no matter what you say to your kids they are going to go on thinking they are invincible, you as the adult have NO idea what you're talking about and they know what is best for themselves (and you know that's what they're thinking...its what we all thought when we were 13-18) would you blindly hope they are smart enough to figure it out on their own or do you arm them as best you can to make sure they are equipped to make the most intelligent decisions a teenager can make?
To me it seems smarter to arm them, to give them as much info as you can going out there so they can make smart, educated decisions. I know thats what my parents did to the best of their ability. I know that I was able to make better decisions because of it. I also know that I was painfully aware of the consequences of the decisions I made from my teen years forward because they told me & after some minor trial and error, nothing too serious mind you, I learned they were right.
I know it isnt a black & white issue at all and everyone must make the best decisions they can for their families and their children based upon what they believe and the individuals involved. I just happen to think that making rules in absolutes, like no drinking until you're 21 and no sex until you are married, is an invitation to any rebellious teenager to do the exact opposite and that turning those topics into a discussion would be a more effective way of letting them make better decisions on their own without even realizing its what you wanted for them in the first place.
So, dear reader, is it best that I dont plan to reproduce & release upon this world a drunk-ass sex fiend or is my line of reasoning sound?
(shameless plug: I write the Cooking with Beer feature for this fantabulous new Craft Beer magazine that is available at a lot of great bars in & around the area. If you're into beer & into Pittsburgh grab one. Its a great read & my recipes are pretty awesome)
It all started with this Tweet:
Would you let your teen drink #craftbeer as a way to learn respect for alcohol, before they're pressured into binge drinking by peers? 14 hours ago · reply · retweet · favorite
It was a lively and interesting conversation with a couple people with some different opinions. But it stuck in my head, as some things will do upon occasion. I will preface with this as well: I do not now nor do I ever plan to have children. I also am not telling anyone how to raise theirs ~ it's quite frankly none of my damn business what anyone chooses to do with or to their kids. That being said I am an intelligent human being who is also entitled to have an opinion about whatever I would like to.
I'm a pretty decent arguer. I dont get personal (most of the time) and can argue my points intelligently and thankfully those that were participating in this back & forth were as well. What it came down to was 2 very different perspective on the topic of introducing kids to alcohol early.
If the parents take the initiative to make responsible alcohol consumption a part of their growing up you de-taboo it, make it less of a "big deal" when they get into peer pressure situations and therefore greatly reduce the chances of your kid having issues with the teenage binge drinking that we all know occurs. If you teach them about things like Craft Beer, teach them to appreciate it and respect it, you will, by default, teach them to be responsible about it. Appreciation + Knowledge = Responsibility. I know this isnt a fail safe way of looking at it at all; some people will abuse alcohol no matter the amount of education or knowledge you try to impart - but I would also assume that as a parent who knows their child that you would also know if your child has tendencies toward that kind of addictive behavior. This theory is based up on a "normal" parenting situation; the parents drink responsibly and not in excess and they would want to impart these same values in their kids.
The comparisons offered here were mostly food related. You develop your pallet throughout your life based on what you are exposed to and what you experience. This is true for food, beer, wine, liquor and the earlier you start the more developed the pallet will be. Some said this was an invalid argument, but it isnt. If you teach a child from toddler age that there is more to food than peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and American cheese you will teach them to eat real food and develop life-long eating habits that revolve around a balanced diet ~ not McDonalds. The same can be said for alcohol. If you teach from their teen years responsible consumption you will create life-long habits about drinking behaviors and the taste for quality over quantity.
The opposing argument was less about the social responsibility of earlier education, we were all pretty much in agreement about that, and more to the end that teenagers couldnt appreciate the nuances of craft beer specifically without the binge drinking of their youth. That in order to appreciate the best you had to experience the worst. This is flawed logic to me. I didnt have to drink Mad Dog to appreciate the aroma & flavor of a delicious Bordeaux; I dont have to drink Old English to appreciate an Orval. I can refer back to my boss' kids. All three were taught about beer at a very early age, it wasnt taboo, they were allowed to try it and find out what they liked and what they didnt. Two of them are in college now and neither is particularly interested in Frat Boy Keggers. Yes...they will still go because thats what college kids do...but they cant stomach drinking flat Coors Light from a warm keg in any kind of excess. They have an appreciation for & have developed a pallet for good beer. With this comes better control, better decision making and removes the desire to drink until they black out on some shitty Macro.
In the opinion of my opposed debaters development of the pallet & a more nuanced education about alcohol and the social responsibility of teaching about safe alcohol consumption were 2 totally different subjects; in my mind they are not. One in turn breeds the other. If you teach about flavor, aroma, quality and the nuances of any alcohol, craft beer for this particular argument, you will teach respect for the beverage and its effects on an individual, respect for the beverage will equate to more responsible choices which will lead to less binge drinking by teenagers.
I never got into this part on twitter because, well, 1) I was tired and it was late, 2) I honestly grew tired of the illogical place the discussion was headed - debates are only fun to me when both sides are argued logically and 3) hard to express a full opinion in 140 characters; But I can equate this argument to sex education. Is it better to teach abstinence ~ cross your fingers and hope like hell your kids listen to you and do what you know you yourself probably didnt no matter what your parents told you or to teach them about honest sex education and give them the tools to make sure they are safe and understand the risks & consequences involved with doing what you know they are going to do anyway?
Yes...it would be lovely if it was as easy as telling them "no sex until you're married" and "no drinking until you're 21"...but be realistic. Did you do that? Did you wait until you were married to have sex? Did you not let a sip of alcohol pass your lips before your 21st birthday? For a few folks yes, both of those statements may be true...but for most of us, myself included, they are both so totally false they hurt. So knowing that, knowing that no matter what you say to your kids they are going to go on thinking they are invincible, you as the adult have NO idea what you're talking about and they know what is best for themselves (and you know that's what they're thinking...its what we all thought when we were 13-18) would you blindly hope they are smart enough to figure it out on their own or do you arm them as best you can to make sure they are equipped to make the most intelligent decisions a teenager can make?
To me it seems smarter to arm them, to give them as much info as you can going out there so they can make smart, educated decisions. I know thats what my parents did to the best of their ability. I know that I was able to make better decisions because of it. I also know that I was painfully aware of the consequences of the decisions I made from my teen years forward because they told me & after some minor trial and error, nothing too serious mind you, I learned they were right.
I know it isnt a black & white issue at all and everyone must make the best decisions they can for their families and their children based upon what they believe and the individuals involved. I just happen to think that making rules in absolutes, like no drinking until you're 21 and no sex until you are married, is an invitation to any rebellious teenager to do the exact opposite and that turning those topics into a discussion would be a more effective way of letting them make better decisions on their own without even realizing its what you wanted for them in the first place.
So, dear reader, is it best that I dont plan to reproduce & release upon this world a drunk-ass sex fiend or is my line of reasoning sound?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
This isnt as bad as I thought it would be really.
So its Day #2. This is the day that everyone has told me would be the worst. If thats true then it should be all down hill from here. Think it helped immensely that I was busy as hell at work all day...but thats the case most days so that should continue to be helpful. Havent had any major headaches that werent caused by a human or anything else. I can still tell in my own head that Im edgier than normal, but it is what it is. Still havent cheated even though I have been more than tempted by all the co-workers that have delicious cigarettes all around me, but I have adopted the "these idiots are NOT going to knock me off this wagon" mentality that seems to be working. Still taking it one day at a time and thats about all I can do. I can tell you that I am very sincerely anticipating the day that the smell of cigarette smoke will repulse me...so anytime that side effect would like to show up I would be most appreciative.
Got home last night and was thinking about bailing on the visit to Mom's but decided that sitting here all obsessing about how bad I want a smoke was a BAD idea and went. Didnt dig through the Fenton but had a great time making cookies with my nephews and trashing my mom's kitchen. Got me thinking on my holiday baking so that will be starting soon.
So I had a little back and forth about the holiday season with some Twitter friends today and it does make me feel better that I am definitely not the only one who is just not feeling the holiday love this year. This isnt uncommon for me - I in essence work in retail. NO ONE who works in retail loves the holiday season...you'd be a sadistic fuck if you did. But in my travels today I reflected on some things that were said by a Christmas Zealot that I follow. He's an interesting fellow that I find I rarely agree with on most things but thats what makes life interesting, right? Bottom line his argument for all of us Bah XMas folks to just relax and enjoy it, its only a month, whats the big deal just get over it and enjoy yourself. I get where hes coming from...hes been dry humping Christmas since Halloween and obviously is much more into it that I am and that cool, but I disagree with a lot of it. I especially found his speeches funny because this person who is all about ramming holiday cheer down all of our throats has also had his fair share of pouting & whining like a 5 year old when plans hes tried to make to help him live out this ridiculous ideal about the serenity of his Perfect Holiday Season falls through because hes living this ideal outside the realm of reality and is then just dumbfounded when real life interferes with his dream of Normal Rockwell Christmas. The hypocrisy of his "spread the love and all of us be happy" message is complete tossed out the window when he doesnt get his way...and me having the dark sense of humor I have finds that LaughOutLoud funny.
Its not just a month. The holiday bullshit has been on display, on my TV and generally infiltrating my existence since 2 weeks before Halloween. That makes it what...over 2 months plus of BUY BUY BUY, Norman Rockwell ideals of holiday perfection, warm fuzzies and sentimental bullshit being rammed into my consciousness for MONTHS. Thats just too much. It actually makes me want to buy less rather than more, it makes me want to dodge the retail and commercial aspects of the holidays entirely and just ignore that its coming. Its the entire retail industry's fault. There need and desire to make the holiday shopping season a quarter of the year ruins it for me. Yeah I get that they want the sales revenue - but they have taken what was when I was growing up a holiday that was less about spending a gajillion dollars buying a bunch of shit we dont need and was more about time with family & friends, taking time to celebrate being together and just taking the time to appreciate what you have and share it with others.
Black Friday crap sickened me this year. People camping out in Best Buy parking lots for days, waiting in line at 3am to get some great deal, people fighting & attacking each other about toys & electronics, stores opening up in the middle of the night and psychotic people actually GOING out at 3am to shop there. I mean its news all day how many people get injured at a walmart stampede, the people arrested for assault fighting over a TV, old women being assaulted by people to get a damn doll. Really? This is what Christmas shopping has come down to? This is what this holiday as become? We should all be ashamed. They retail industry keeps taking it further because there are enough assholes out there they make money doing it. And I HATE it. With ever ounce of my being. There was a time when I enjoyed going out shopping...hunting for that perfect gift for that special someone, walking the mall and looking at decorations and just enjoying the festiveness of the season but that time has long gone. I dont find it very "Holiday Season" to go to the mall and have to deal with the assholes there that are literally and figuratively FIGHTING for the hottest trend because some ass on TV said it was the coolest shit ever and you MUST have it. Bury your head in the sand all you want...but Christmas stopped being about family & friends and started being about greed & materialism years ago and I dont have to like it.
I will definitely have my kind of Christmas. We will go to my Mom's on Christmas Eve and have a fantastic dinner with my family and sit around the tree and open gifts with the kids, we will eat until we can teat anymore, we will talk, tell stories and enjoy my mom's awesome decorating and the warm glow of lights. I will spend Christmas Day making a feast for my family and we will spend more time eating, drinking, relaxing and enjoying each others company being thankful that we have each other and appreciating the time we have together. I will get some presents, I will much more enjoy giving presents and it will be a great holiday for us all. I will hope we get snow, its cold and crisp and I will see Christmas lights reflecting off it giving a time of year that is usually gloomy a warm and heartening glow. I will watch Rudolf, Frosty the Snowman, Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation and all of my other favorite holiday movies. I will donate money and toys to help family's around me have better holidays and feel good that no matter how small I played a part in helping some child or family have a happier holiday. I will bake enough cookies to feed a country and revel in sharing those little pieces of me with people I genuinely care for. I will spend this holiday with a husband I adore and who adores me back, my family and friends and it will be as awesome as any has ever been and it will be far too short as always...
And even with all of those amazing things that will make this holiday awesome for me...i will still HATE the blatant commercialism that has infected this holiday like a plague, the Christmas ads I see on TV will still make me sporky especially the make me want to vomit jewelery ads (real people in real life dont fucking act like those idiots they script in those ads), I will still get ragey watching people be just dickish to each other just because they can be while wrapped up in their own selfish existences, I will still be nauseated by parents who think that the only way they can give their kids a nice holiday by buying them half of a toy store while their kids apprecaite none of the crap they get and I will still abhor the way Christmas went from family traditions to a gluttony of commercialism.
Yes, I still love Christmas, the traditions, the time to get together and enjoy our friends and family...but as a sane person I will at the same time completely hate and do my best to not participate in all of the overly commercialized and insulting transparent attempts of the majority of the planet to turn this holiday into retail gluttony.
And for any that say Im a hater...you very well may be right, but in my opinion you're living in denial if you cant see that your holiday is designed to cost you a fortune, stress you out, has little or nothing to do with the holiday & is more about giving your money to the retail machine ~ when in reality the best gift I will get this year is just some down time to celebrate life with my nearest and dearest.
I would rather be flat ass broke sitting near my Charlie Brown christmas tree with my Mister drinking a beer laughing at crude dick & fart jokes all night than frantically trying to make sure that our holiday lives up to some imaginary standard set by Martha Stewart or whoever.
Im curious to hear your thoughts. I can see both sides of the equation...but seriously I cant imagine I am the only one that has reached max for the forcing of Christmas down my throat for over 2 moths so Old Navy can see cheap fleece. Christmas means more than stupid shit to me. Its about appreciating what you have, helping others who may need it and saying thanks to the people in your life that make it a better place to be.....and Im pretty sure that a drill doesnt express that as well as a hug, a personal gift and just saying the damn words. Am I wrong?
Got home last night and was thinking about bailing on the visit to Mom's but decided that sitting here all obsessing about how bad I want a smoke was a BAD idea and went. Didnt dig through the Fenton but had a great time making cookies with my nephews and trashing my mom's kitchen. Got me thinking on my holiday baking so that will be starting soon.
So I had a little back and forth about the holiday season with some Twitter friends today and it does make me feel better that I am definitely not the only one who is just not feeling the holiday love this year. This isnt uncommon for me - I in essence work in retail. NO ONE who works in retail loves the holiday season...you'd be a sadistic fuck if you did. But in my travels today I reflected on some things that were said by a Christmas Zealot that I follow. He's an interesting fellow that I find I rarely agree with on most things but thats what makes life interesting, right? Bottom line his argument for all of us Bah XMas folks to just relax and enjoy it, its only a month, whats the big deal just get over it and enjoy yourself. I get where hes coming from...hes been dry humping Christmas since Halloween and obviously is much more into it that I am and that cool, but I disagree with a lot of it. I especially found his speeches funny because this person who is all about ramming holiday cheer down all of our throats has also had his fair share of pouting & whining like a 5 year old when plans hes tried to make to help him live out this ridiculous ideal about the serenity of his Perfect Holiday Season falls through because hes living this ideal outside the realm of reality and is then just dumbfounded when real life interferes with his dream of Normal Rockwell Christmas. The hypocrisy of his "spread the love and all of us be happy" message is complete tossed out the window when he doesnt get his way...and me having the dark sense of humor I have finds that LaughOutLoud funny.
Its not just a month. The holiday bullshit has been on display, on my TV and generally infiltrating my existence since 2 weeks before Halloween. That makes it what...over 2 months plus of BUY BUY BUY, Norman Rockwell ideals of holiday perfection, warm fuzzies and sentimental bullshit being rammed into my consciousness for MONTHS. Thats just too much. It actually makes me want to buy less rather than more, it makes me want to dodge the retail and commercial aspects of the holidays entirely and just ignore that its coming. Its the entire retail industry's fault. There need and desire to make the holiday shopping season a quarter of the year ruins it for me. Yeah I get that they want the sales revenue - but they have taken what was when I was growing up a holiday that was less about spending a gajillion dollars buying a bunch of shit we dont need and was more about time with family & friends, taking time to celebrate being together and just taking the time to appreciate what you have and share it with others.
Black Friday crap sickened me this year. People camping out in Best Buy parking lots for days, waiting in line at 3am to get some great deal, people fighting & attacking each other about toys & electronics, stores opening up in the middle of the night and psychotic people actually GOING out at 3am to shop there. I mean its news all day how many people get injured at a walmart stampede, the people arrested for assault fighting over a TV, old women being assaulted by people to get a damn doll. Really? This is what Christmas shopping has come down to? This is what this holiday as become? We should all be ashamed. They retail industry keeps taking it further because there are enough assholes out there they make money doing it. And I HATE it. With ever ounce of my being. There was a time when I enjoyed going out shopping...hunting for that perfect gift for that special someone, walking the mall and looking at decorations and just enjoying the festiveness of the season but that time has long gone. I dont find it very "Holiday Season" to go to the mall and have to deal with the assholes there that are literally and figuratively FIGHTING for the hottest trend because some ass on TV said it was the coolest shit ever and you MUST have it. Bury your head in the sand all you want...but Christmas stopped being about family & friends and started being about greed & materialism years ago and I dont have to like it.
I will definitely have my kind of Christmas. We will go to my Mom's on Christmas Eve and have a fantastic dinner with my family and sit around the tree and open gifts with the kids, we will eat until we can teat anymore, we will talk, tell stories and enjoy my mom's awesome decorating and the warm glow of lights. I will spend Christmas Day making a feast for my family and we will spend more time eating, drinking, relaxing and enjoying each others company being thankful that we have each other and appreciating the time we have together. I will get some presents, I will much more enjoy giving presents and it will be a great holiday for us all. I will hope we get snow, its cold and crisp and I will see Christmas lights reflecting off it giving a time of year that is usually gloomy a warm and heartening glow. I will watch Rudolf, Frosty the Snowman, Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation and all of my other favorite holiday movies. I will donate money and toys to help family's around me have better holidays and feel good that no matter how small I played a part in helping some child or family have a happier holiday. I will bake enough cookies to feed a country and revel in sharing those little pieces of me with people I genuinely care for. I will spend this holiday with a husband I adore and who adores me back, my family and friends and it will be as awesome as any has ever been and it will be far too short as always...
And even with all of those amazing things that will make this holiday awesome for me...i will still HATE the blatant commercialism that has infected this holiday like a plague, the Christmas ads I see on TV will still make me sporky especially the make me want to vomit jewelery ads (real people in real life dont fucking act like those idiots they script in those ads), I will still get ragey watching people be just dickish to each other just because they can be while wrapped up in their own selfish existences, I will still be nauseated by parents who think that the only way they can give their kids a nice holiday by buying them half of a toy store while their kids apprecaite none of the crap they get and I will still abhor the way Christmas went from family traditions to a gluttony of commercialism.
Yes, I still love Christmas, the traditions, the time to get together and enjoy our friends and family...but as a sane person I will at the same time completely hate and do my best to not participate in all of the overly commercialized and insulting transparent attempts of the majority of the planet to turn this holiday into retail gluttony.
And for any that say Im a hater...you very well may be right, but in my opinion you're living in denial if you cant see that your holiday is designed to cost you a fortune, stress you out, has little or nothing to do with the holiday & is more about giving your money to the retail machine ~ when in reality the best gift I will get this year is just some down time to celebrate life with my nearest and dearest.
I would rather be flat ass broke sitting near my Charlie Brown christmas tree with my Mister drinking a beer laughing at crude dick & fart jokes all night than frantically trying to make sure that our holiday lives up to some imaginary standard set by Martha Stewart or whoever.
Im curious to hear your thoughts. I can see both sides of the equation...but seriously I cant imagine I am the only one that has reached max for the forcing of Christmas down my throat for over 2 moths so Old Navy can see cheap fleece. Christmas means more than stupid shit to me. Its about appreciating what you have, helping others who may need it and saying thanks to the people in your life that make it a better place to be.....and Im pretty sure that a drill doesnt express that as well as a hug, a personal gift and just saying the damn words. Am I wrong?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)