Killing the spontaneity of Christmas

This should have been a topic of interest last month, but doing so would have been "spontaneous," and would have contradicted this post.

Christmas is really for kids. For believing in snow and Santa Claus. For indulging screaming laughter and splitting waistlines. For fun and frivolity. For funky dress codes and weird hair styles. In a word, Christmas is spontaneous, or supposed to be.

In my childhood days, I believed wholly in the spirit of Christmas. I loved to hear Christmas carols. My eyes twinkled with every glance at the lighted Christmas tree. Time danced before me, because waiting for Santa's presents sent shivers of anticipation down my spine. And the highlight of every Christmas season is ripping open presents with abandon and excitement. It was fun. Because it was spontaneous.

Then I hit the 'age of reason.' It's no specific age really; it has no number. But when it hits you, Christmas loses some of its sparkle. Presents lose their seductive appeal. The food looks the same as it did last Christmas. Christmas carols seem old and repetitive. You're more absorbed in navigating your relatives more than collecting presents from them. Everything moves so fast that you wonder how you ever enjoyed a Christmas holiday. And ripping presents open has evolved to the refined style of peeling them open. It is orderly. (My new word for "unnecessarily complex and boring," btw. Inspired by a parental unit. Sigh.) So much for fun and spontaneity.

The epitome of 'Christmas in the age of reason' happens yearly not in December during the Christmas season, but in January (or worse, in February) after the Christmas season. Because one parental unit demands that opening gifts should be 'orderly' (please note my personal definition above), the stage has to be set in order to carefully document such a momentous occasion. First and most important prop to prepare is the video camera, for without it, the gift opening event will not be made possible. Next is the atmosphere - mellow Christmas carol, proper lighting to get a clear visual of surroundings and presents, the be-decked Christmas tree complete with Christmas presents neatly arranged underneath. Next are proper placements, chairs, props, and positions of everyone must be in full and clear view of the video camera. Finally, there is the script everyone more or less follows: "This is a gift from [mention source of present], and it's a [open wrapper at this point, and state object inside wrapper]! [Have option to state positive ONLY comments] Thank you!" Part of the script is to smile and enthuse. Since I'm a bad actress, that part is difficult for me to do, unless under extreme duress from the parental kind. Damn, I really perform here.

Generally, this annual ceremony has desensitized my enthusiasm for Christmas. If I ever have kids, I'm not going to impose this kind of 'orderliness' on them, especially when it's Christmas time. Christmas should always retain part of its magic, and I want to keep it alive as long as I can, be it in the heart of a kid or the heart of the child-like. May Christmas always be simple, fun, spontaneous, and exhilarating!

Last post of the year

I want to end this year on a happy note. Learned quite a lot, earned my share of pleasure and pain, gritted against my frustrations, remembered my achievements fondly, laughed more, cried a bit, but on the overall I discovered (or uncovered?) more stuff about myself and my place in this world. Despite all this, I feel there is still more waiting for me out there, and I look toward it with a mix of trepidation and enthusiasm.

I've tried expanding my horizon this year, meaning more activities, more people, more exploration, more dynamism. Got into Ultimate, zips, work-related travel, pen-and-paper RPGs, (newfound enthusiasm for) shopping and pampering, and of course, blogging. There could be more, but I can't remember at the moment. They have enriched my life, and some have surprised me in the sense that they revealed a side of me that I didn't think I was suited for. (I was talking about shopping and pampering here. I mean, I wouldn't have thought that I would learn to love spa and facial treatments. Used to think these things were things of vanity, but really they're not. Never realised these things could make you feel so relaxed and generally good about yourself.)

While exploring is good and all, I realised that I never pursued them with a passion. I asked my friend, Crissa, what could shock her about me. She told me that since I had a wide variety of interests, she wouldn't be surprised if I tried something unconventional, like dying my hair blue. (But then again, I've always been talking to her about that for a looong time. Too bad I haven't done it yet - successfully.) She did suggest later on that I pursue something passionately, through and through; to focus on one thing to maybe competitive levels. I guess she's right, so this coming year, maybe I will try to channel my energies into one activity/ hobby. Since I've been feeling restless, I think it will be a physical activity - maybe Ultimate, zips, yoga, or combat arts. Damn, so much to choose from. >.< style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! Till next time. ;)