There's a lot of stuff we do in the last two weeks of December to wrap up the year. Not all of it is holiday-centric, though a lot of it is. The last two weeks of the year are usually interspersed with some PTO and events surrounding my birthday (I don't really count my birthday as a "holiday," per se).
This time of year also usually involves some shitty weather, travel headaches, or something else thrown into the mix, too.
All Christmas cards I sent out should have already arrived at their intended destinations, even the international ones and one that I had to re-send because I got the wrong address the first time around. If they're not there at this point, it's in the hands of Space Jesus now:
Yes, this is me, I did that AI thing through the Lensa app. Or, rather, Daisy put me through it. The art is shockingly accurate.
All gifts I've mailed out to people, with the exception of a stack of comics I sent my dad yesterday, have already arrived safely and with confirmation.
I have two nights of work left (tonight and tomorrow) and then I'm off for a full week.
I turn 40 in two days. Christmas Day is a week from today.
People around me and in my life are moving slowly this year when it comes to holiday things, like nobody is really in the spirit for it or is just sick of the thought of it. I sent 60 holiday cards, and have thus far (on December 18) have received only ten or so in return, which is an extremely low amount -- yes, I track this every year.
I've gotten two birthday cards, one from my parents and one from my aunt. Usually I get far more. I don't know if people just stopped caring over the pandemic years or what.
I've had several friends announce on Facebook that they're not doing cards this year or that they've stopped doing them completely.
I normally receive Christmas or birthday gifts in the mail from a few friends. This year I have gotten nothing so far. I know at least two friends are sending us baked goods (they'll likely arrive in the coming days). My parents always send us a box of stuff for Christmas too, and that did arrive as planned -- with a nice watch for me and a beautiful bracelet and socks for Daisy.
Mind you, I've told basically, well, everyone that I don't want anything for my birthday or Christmas. And I really don't. There's not anything that I really need that anyone can give me as a gift. It's sort of like that John Lennon quote where he said his teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and his response was "Happy," and she said he didn't understand he question, so he responded that she didn't understand life.
I am happy. I've actually been happier in my life this year, and especially over the past several months, than I've been in a very long time. I don't need physical gifts. I don't need things. I have too many things as it is. I just want to continue the trend of happiness and relatively decent health. The things I want can't be put in a bag or a box. They're things like peace and downtime and not having (and not needing) a job. Nobody can give me those things.
December this year just feels strange, like it's not going fast enough and it's moving too fast all at the same time. When I take time off work, it's always a blur because it goes too quickly. I usually fall into a slight depression after the holidays are over because there's nothing else to look forward to, just three months of cold, dark winter. And already, it is bitterly cold and nasty here in Omaha. Temperatures this coming week -- before Christmas, mind you -- are already supposed to be in the negatives. We're also supposed to get about five or so inches of snow between now and Christmas, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment