Miserable Christmas!

[Dave Rapp]

As I sit here, typing this, I am waiting for my father to get off his MMORPG and go to sleep so that I can sneak out of the house and buy a Christmas present.

It is currently... 2:28 am, very early Christmas Eve. (or very late Christmas Eve Eve)

I'm going to go buy a fuggin' toaster oven.

Now, this may be the sleepiness talking, but right now I am NOT feeling into the Christmas spirit. My parents are both impossible to shop for, my Sister's in Australia and therefore well out of Present range, I'm not close enough to any of my friends to exchange gifts without it being creepy, and I don't like any of my relatives.

So, yeah, not in the Christmas spirit. Christmas is a time for giving and recieving, a time for family, and a time for celebration and religion. Well I have nobody to give to and recieve from, no family members that I actually like, and I'm an Atheist.

I'm not liking Christmas right now. Since my parents have both gotten me something, I now have to return the favor and buy them something. The problem is that both of them are impossible to shop for. So finally I just said "Screw it all. Our toaster oven is an ancient fire hazzard, I'll just buy a shiny new one."

Not crazy about Christmas this year. See, I don't have a license due to stupid school-based issues, so I can't legally drive on my own. And I can't go over to walmart with my parent(s) to buy the toaster oven because then the surprise would be ruined. So I have to drive over to Walmart, by myself, at night.

It's ridiculous how little Christmas I'm feelin'. I have to go break the law to buy a toaster oven as a Christmas present.

Why does everyone like this holiday so much? I'd give my lower leg just to be able to sleep right through it.

[CrazedGoblin]

i don't like christmas as much as i did when i was younger but it still feels abit special just because its a day our of the normal, but htis year i have 4! exams to revise for AS level so ye a fun christmas present from the school "goes back to looking over AS chemistry"

[Kaelaroth]

I know what you mean. I have lots and lots of relatives coming to my family's house for Christmas Eve. That means I am forced to spend heaps of cash buying presents for all of 'em, or else I get a massive guilt trip. The weird aunt, and the odd uncle, are bringing their ill, psychopathic toddler, who will most likely get on everyone's nerves, infect us all with a cold, and quite possinly do something terrible that will injure/inflict pain upon my incredibly frail grandfather. I am also betting that my grandfather should not be out of hospital yet, and is currently pretty loopy (seeing angels and crazed electrodes), and will most likely get on everyone's nerves and/or upset my hyperactive and devastated grandmother. Of course, she and my bossy aunt will spend their time bullying my mum (who is at her wits end trying to cook for so many, and trying to arrange my house so it fits so many), while my dad and other uncle sit discussing how awful our family is within everyone's earshot. My young adult cousin and her boyfriend will be wishing they never agreed to come, while her brother (my cousin), my brother, and I will be wanting to play DnD, but will be forced to assist in meaningless and pathetic tasks. No-one knows what I like, so my presents will most likely be awful, and I will be forced, as ever, to pretend I love staring at pictures of the Amazon in winter.

And my holdiay destination is in the middle of a frickin' monsoon.

Merry Freaking Christmas and a Cruddy New Year! :furious:

[Kalessin]

Christmas... in my short life, this one is the first without snow and the Christmas-spirit. Due to my emotional state, I am very irritable and everybody else in my family have to pay. I have no presents for my family (mainly because I have no money, but I feel guilty anyways). So I'm sad. Very, very sad. maybe I should convert to Judaism :smallfrown:

[Drascin]

Mine are probably not going to be miserable. Just... mindnumbingly boring and inconvenient. I only have my father, his girlfriend, and her family to spend them with, as the rest of my actual family is hundreds of kilometers away - and I'll have to endure long dinners while trying to hide that I'm bored to the infinity and beyond by their meaningless talk, try to avoid asphixia while being on a table where the only person who doesn't smoke a cigarette every three minutes is me, and acting as if I actually like what I'm being given to eat (seriously, I'll cook it myself if needed, but put at least a bit of meat on the table on Christmas Eve, goddamnit).

To this add that I'm generally bad with gatherings of people and talking to people I don't know, and you can see why I'm dreading the night. Man, I never thought I'd say this, but I'd prefer to make a pizza and spend Christmas Eve in front of the computer watching Lucky star, as sad as that sounds.

[bluish_wolf]

It's ridiculous how little Christmas I'm feelin'. I have to go break the law to buy a toaster oven as a Christmas present.

Why does everyone like this holiday so much? I'd give my lower leg just to be able to sleep right through it.

I know Christmas is a traditional time for gift giving, but don't feel compelled to do so for the sake of it. You should give gifts because you want to, not because you need to. Your parents probably aren't buying you gifts so that they can get some toaster oven in return. Actually, nix the probably part. I'm dead sure of it.

[Aristeidis]

Dear Dave Rapp,

You say you are an atheist yet you somehow care about xmas. Why? I am not a Christian and I don't care about their holidays. Whoever wants to celebrate or do anything else christmas-y is fine. Don't care please! These holidays are not for you and me, so why bother??! :smallsmile: I always tell myself to mind my own businness. If there is an african holiday must I feel blue? I feel blue sometimes around holidays but that is just a way of expressing my sorrow about things I don't like. It takes the form of being left out by christmas! It is not different than any other day. Your post here got into me and I had to reply. Hope you feel better soon! Sincerely, Aristeidis!

[Ikkitosen]

Adroitly sidesteeping the religion issue, Christmas for me is a time for family and thinking about/spending time with those for whom you care.

I feel for anyone that doesn't have people they love with whom to spend the holiday season.

Then again I get miffed at people who do have exactly that and *still* are miserable humbugs!

Whatever form Christmas takes for you just try to make the most of it - after all, you likely have less work to do than normal!

[Charity]

Unless your cooking the dinner Ikkie :smallwink:

Anyhow, much as I hate to have to agree with ya, you are quite right.
Christmas is what you make it. Approach with a positive attitude for best results.

[Lady Tialait]

I've always been a gift giving person. I like doing it. Mind you i'm a Discordian, but I celibrate christmas for the heck of it. I mean, this is a chance to get a gift for EVERYONE I KNOW! what could be better? the one bad part is that every single one of them get me a gift that i don't like, won't return, and hate completely...well i guess you can't get everything.

On a up side, everyones broke around this time of year that the best they can do is say 'Sorry, but..um..we like you but we are too broke to give a gift for your birthday' ((Dec. 21)) ....count your blessings.

I hate the christmas...spirit, forced happy all that. I just like giving gifts...*shrug*

[blackfox]

Meh. You have it worse than I do... I'm just stuck in Long Beach, CA right now (I live in VA, where there is actually the slim chance that it might snow.) There are several black marks against this location. 1, it's in CA and it feels like summer, which I hate. 2, it's in Long Beach, which is a city, which I hate. 3, we're living in my mother's friends' condo in a highrise, which I hate; I'd rather live at my grandparents' flat, but then there'd be nowhere to sleep... I know there's no other choice, it's just annoying. 4, Long Beach being a city, there is absolutely nothing interesting to do. The nearest good hiking is at least an hour away... At least my mom's friends have bikes they're letting us use. :smallfrown:

[Pwenet]

Why I hate this X-mas season.

*Drumrolls*

BAH! HUMBUG!
(Spoilerizing it to prevent people from just skimming and getting depressed)
#1 - I'm getting divorced! (Yes, there is no good time to start this lovely process, but finding out that the wife hates you and wants to be with another guy and is staying with you only for your money 2-3 weeks before X-mas, blah!)

#2 - Birthday on the 22nd (To quote Tiaait: "On a up side, everyones broke around this time of year that the best they can do is say 'Sorry, but..um..we like you but we are too broke to give a gift for your birthday' ((Dec. 21)) ....count your blessings.")

#3 - Family cat died 3 days ago, after the wife took our two kitties.

#4 - All my friends are on the other side of the state and doing their own thing, and I don't want to travel all the way out there.

#5 - I have no vacation time, so I'll be working. This is not all that bad except I need to make up some hours so it will be some long work days starting on the 26th.

Disclaimer - I'm normally apathetic/enjoy the holiday season, but this year in my 25 years has been clearly the worst ever. Hopefully things will be better next year.

[Mordokai]

Personaly, I like christmas very much, but then again, I never had problem similar to any of you people. For me, it's that special feeling that I can't really describe but it IS there. It makes me love everybody, and thta's why I like it so much. People are generaly nicer around christmas, which is also good. And two free days don't hurt either.

@Pwenet: please don't understand what I'm about to say wrong. You have my symphaty, and I hope everything works out the best way possible for you. However, seeing your signature, the one thing that you still haven't lost is your sense of humor. I hope it will stick with you for a long, long time.

[Pwenet]

@Pwenet: please don't understand what I'm about to say wrong. You have my symphaty, and I hope everything works out the best way possible for you. However, seeing your signature, the one thing that you still haven't lost is your sense of humor. I hope it will stick with you for a long, long time.

HeH - That is the only thing keeping me going sometimes.

Even I can appreciate the humor in things still.

So don't worry, I understand what you are saying. Thanks.

[Moxie]

I know how you feel. I have a nasty habit of not knowing what people like. And what I do know of people's likes are often the one thing they talk about, so they're probably already going to get a bunch of stuff like that.

This year, I flat out told my family that I'm getting everyone presents that they won't like when they first open it. Probably frown and go, "Really, you got me this?" Then give a fake smile and thank me through their disappointment.

That is until they go to use it. Then they will thank god that I got it for them.

I got my sister a Battery Jumper Box. I told her this, and though she was clearly disappointed that I didn't get her something new and flashy, she also knows how much my Jumper Box had helped me over the years, and the, hopefully rare, times she'll need it, she'll be glad she has it. If it's as good as it claims, she'll be able to use it for a couple years, and that's worth it, right? Better than a cheep toy she'll use once...

My mom I got a set of phones for the house. Partially because I hate having one phone, and partially because I hate that the one phone we have is tethered to the wall. She was kind of disappointed when the old one broke, so I guess this will help. Again, a present I don't think she'll love, until she needs to use it.

My dad complained about his soldering Iron a few times, so I got him a new one. It's also good for wood burning. Like with any tools, you hope he never has to know them, but want to make sure he has them in case he needs them.

Now, I'm not the type that seems to get into the holiday spirit. I mean, I dislike Christmas Carols, don't seem to dress in Christmas clothes, ((Red and Black, not Red and Green. Close enough, right?)), and I don't go to Christmas parties. But there's something about the Spirit about it. Giving presents.

Personally, that's what it's always been about for me. It's not about receiving presents that will keep me happy for a short time, or be useful for a long time. It's about giving things to people. It's about altruistic values. And that's enough for me to appreciate the holiday.

[Gitman00]

To all those having a lousy Christmas, well... Blues Traveler says it better than I:

Comes the time for Christmas
And I really have to ask
If this is feeling merry
How much longer must it last
I wish a one horse open sleigh
Would come carry me away
But I've been waiting here all day
And one just hasn't come my way

Now excuse me if I'm not being reverent
But I was hoping for a miracle to hold me, wash me
Save me from my righteous doubt as I watch helpless
And everybody sings
If it's Chanukah or Kwanzaa
Solstice, harvest or December twenty-fifth
Peace on earth to everyone
And abundance to everyone you're with

Comes the time for Christmas
And as you raise your Yuletide flask
There's like this feeling that you carry
As if from every Christmas past
It's as if each year it grows
It's like you feel it in your toes
And on and on your carol goes
Harvesting love among your woes

I want to buy into the benevolent
And I was hoping for a miracle to hold me, wash me
Make me know what it's about
As the longing in me makes me want to sing
Noel or Navidad
Season celebration or just the end of the year
Christmas can mean anything
And I mean to keep it's hope forever near

As if a cold and frozen soul is warm to love
By loves own hand
So goes the prayer if for a day peace on Earth
And good will to man
At twenty below the winter storm it billows
But the fire is so warm inside
And the children while nestled in their pillows
Dream of St. Nicholas's ride

And how the next day they'll get up and they will play
In the still falling Christmas snow
And together we'll celebrate forever
In defiance of the winds that blow
My God in Heaven now I feel like I'm seven
And spirit calls to me as well

As if Christmas had made the winter warmer
Made a paradise from what was hell
As if a cold and frozen soul is warm to love
By loves own hand
So goes the prayer if for a day peace on earth
And good will to man.......

I wish a one horse open sleigh would come carry me away
And I'll keep waiting through next may
Until Christmas comes my way

I wish you all the best from the Middle East. Make sure you don't spend Christmas alone. I'll be praying for all of you, (yes, even you atheists :smallamused:) and I truly hope your Christmas turns out to be the best ever, even if it looks bleak right now. God be with you, and merry Christmas! :smallsmile:

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

Christmas is a time for pretty lights and clove cigarettes. I could never hate it.

[Dave Rapp]

*carefully sidestepping the religion stuff to avoid a religous debate...*


I know what you mean. I have lots and lots of relatives coming to my family's house for Christmas Eve. That means I am forced to spend heaps of cash buying presents for all of 'em, or else I get a massive guilt trip. The weird aunt, and the odd uncle, are bringing their ill, psychopathic toddler, who will most likely get on everyone's nerves, infect us all with a cold, and quite possinly do something terrible that will injure/inflict pain upon my incredibly frail grandfather. I am also betting that my grandfather should not be out of hospital yet, and is currently pretty loopy (seeing angels and crazed electrodes), and will most likely get on everyone's nerves and/or upset my hyperactive and devastated grandmother. Of course, she and my bossy aunt will spend their time bullying my mum (who is at her wits end trying to cook for so many, and trying to arrange my house so it fits so many), while my dad and other uncle sit discussing how awful our family is within everyone's earshot. My young adult cousin and her boyfriend will be wishing they never agreed to come, while her brother (my cousin), my brother, and I will be wanting to play DnD, but will be forced to assist in meaningless and pathetic tasks. No-one knows what I like, so my presents will most likely be awful, and I will be forced, as ever, to pretend I love staring at pictures of the Amazon in winter.

And my holdiay destination is in the middle of a frickin' monsoon.

Merry Freaking Christmas and a Cruddy New Year!

Escape. Find a friend or something and just get the hell out of there for a while. It's better to spend Christmas with one or two people you like than to spend it with a whole family you hate. And if you don't have any friend(s) you can escape with, then just go out wandering around for a while, laughing at the people still running around trying to find that last gift or two.

Failing that, lock yourself in your room and spend the whole day on the interweb.

[Rare Pink Leech]

On a up side, everyones broke around this time of year that the best they can do is say 'Sorry, but..um..we like you but we are too broke to give a gift for your birthday' ((Dec. 21)) ....count your blessings.

Ouch, that's harsh. Really, really harsh.

I have a cousin whose birthday is December 22nd, and when we get together to exchange gifts, we give her distinct gifts for Christmas and her birthday, with Christmas paper for the Christmas gift and birthday paper for the birthday gift. Her parents also make sure to separate her birthday and Christmas, usually holding her party up to a week before her birthday, and sometimes even a bit earlier.

[Mysticaloctopus]

My father is a priest. We dont see him until well after everyone else is full of turkey. We have managed to put off the inevitable slew of relatives and other people dad knows until the new year, but it is coming.

[Totally Guy]

How did all the miserable christmasses go? were hey as bad as feared or did you find something positive to take away from the experience?

How did the toaster oven giving go, Mr Rapp?