All Alone Today?
17Wednesday 25 December, 2013 by Uncle Spike
It’s Christmas today. Well not here, not for us, but for a third of the planet it is.
Now I grew up in England and so have witnessed Christmas in all it’s finery and quite a few of it’s less salubrious sides as well.
Christmas in the West is like living in a city… it might be happening around you, but you can still be, or feel quite alone.
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If you live in a country where Christmas is celebrated, but for whatever reason, you have somehow been overlooked or excluded, then this is my post to you.
Equally, you may be working or travelling abroad, away from home or perhaps working a 12 hour shift in some essential or emergency service, or even in the armed services; again, this is my post to you.
Or perhaps, like me, you don’t celebrate Christmas and live in some part of the world where it largely passes by without even a decorated tree in sight; again, this is my post to you.
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Today I am not opening presents either, we have no Turkey roasting in the oven and no decorations adorning our house – for us, today is a normal humdrum Wednesday in late December. My wife is working away all week, back Friday night, I’m working from home and kiddo is at school.
So if you are one of the above, you know, not caught up in the festivities by choice, design or by accident, then may I be one to wish you a Happy Christmas, or a Happy Wednesday at least. It can be a lonely world out there, if by chance you are not ‘in the thick of it’ at a time like this.
And, if you are reading this as someone who is celebrating today, spare a moment to have a think if there is anyone around your way who is out in the cold this Christmas. Remembering that even being alone in your own place can be just as cold as outside.
We need to take care of each other – that’s why we are here.
UNCLE SPIKE
Uncle Spike's Adventures 
Excellent post brother, excellent.
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Thank you Ted
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I absolutely agree with this, we stopped supporting the commercialism of christmas years ago and instead, around this time when everyone has the excuse to get away from work and come home we spend money making really awesome memories! And eat really good food. And drink good drink. It really is a wonderful time of the year, not because of presents and greed but because of family!! I feel you all the way!
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🙂 Good for you!
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Hi. I just followed your blog. I really resonate with what you wrote. I don’t celebrate Christmas refusing to be involved in the absolute madness it has become. We as a family do more meaningful things as well. No tearing off wrapping paper like a bunch of hoodlums. Just quiet. And eating a good meal my husband is now preparing. How’s that?
Afterwards, two movies planned all snuggled together on the couch with some of our cats. Oh, I must admit I did get one present, and that is because I requested that hubs buys it, he being more expert in these kind of things. I’m getting more serious about my photography, so he bought me a tripod for my camera. The only thing with this, it is steel, and I have to figure out a way to keep it dry when I go outside. Any suggestions? I was thinking of wrapping plastic bags on the ends in order to keep the legs dry.
Now, one would think these people who make tripods would THINK that the person with a camera in cold country, would need stainless steel. One would think.
Anyways, your site really looks awesome, and I do look forward to more posts.
Big ((((HUGS))) ….. is your wife OK with that?
Amy
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Sounds like you guys have got it about right. We don’t have anything remotely like that here; very different culture. But we enjoyed looking at the photos and posts 🙂
There are plenty of posts on here to keep you busy over winter if you live in a cold place. I have recently just added plenty of categories so you can look them up easier too from the side bar as well as the header.
As for the tripod, dunno. Never heard of a steel one tbh. Maybe use some anti-corrosive paint (metal undercoat for cars etc) around the base stem, or even underseal spray oil (used to spray a motorbike every winter and never any rust). For photography advice though, I would suggest Joe (http://joeinfocus.wordpress.com)
UNCLE SPIKE
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Thank you, Uncle Spike! I’ll check out the site you recommended. I don’t like messes, so I won’t be spraying with oil. But I will go see if I can find a solution, other then plastic bags. I won’t be able to paint with anything, due to the ends having screws to adjust the tripod with. Hmmm…..this is a puzzle. I’ll figure it out!
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Hi Uncle Spike
I was feeling badly that my husband was headed to NH (mostly to avoid yet another family party) and I stayed home being exhausted (mostly from giving family parties). What a lovely and relaxing day I am having: Processed some pictures, put a post on my blog of a lovely snowy owl I was fortunate enough to photograph earlier in the week and am about to have a nice left over lunch. If I want to I can head to yet another family party and i guess being alone by choice is very different than being alone because there is no-one to visit. I plan to stop for coffee and buy the person in the drive through behind me their coffee. If they are not alone by choice, like me, then it well help them know that someone cared about them. And if they are, they they’ll get a nice lift. PS: I also gave up the gift giving many years ago because I felt the important reason for celebration was lost. Family didn’t like it at first, then they got over it. Now we just get together to enjoy each other’s company. With every passing year, and loss of family members, this becomes more precious to us all.
Merry Christmas and thanks for your thoughtful post.
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I must admit I began to find the overindulgent gift syndrome quite nauseating at times, and pretty glad that’s behind me. I recall sending a cheque in the post to my brother one year, only to receive the same value cheque (his) in return. What’s the point?
We dont have Christmas, and our religious holidays do not involve gifts, perhaps just a small gift, one for each child (c. $25), but nothing else.
My last birthday present was a few years ago, but we always try to go out somewhere as a family instead – quality time and all that 🙂
My 80 yr old mum now buys me no presents, but will bring small things like my favourite cookies over when she visits – much more meaningful 🙂
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Yes I am!
And I don’t enjoy it.
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Then you are one of those who I wrote this for. WP is quiet today, so I didn’t want folk to feel left out. Even here, where it is a normal Wednesday, it felt kinda weird after seeing all the posts…
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Yes it is rather quiet at wp, but not as quiet as I thought it would be.
I slept in this morning, and then I’ve been watching movies instead of doing anything productive.
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You have mentioned this ‘no Christmas’ thing several times now Spike. I hope it wasn’t you that punched Santa on the nose the other day? http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/anti-santa-campaigns-heat-up-in-turkey-as-christmas-arrives-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=60090&NewsCatID=341
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Not guilty… what a bunch of idiots, eh?
Respect of others, yeah right, alive and well, lol.
Anyway, santa doesn’t have any religious connotations really, and he came from down the road in Demre.
Sadly Andrew, there will always be some who dispute the rest of the world (on all sides)
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Nice post, Uncle Spike. I agree. There are many people who do not celebrate Christmas, and it is usually by choice. After all, you could celebrate, if you really, really wanted to. If atheists can celebrate Christmas then anyone can! But, like many others, you choose not to. My experience is that by choosing not to celebrate there is a greater sense of peace and harmony with time to focus on the family and other more important things in a far better way.
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Totally agree Michael.
We have our own religious/traditional celebration days (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_holidays) but prefer them to the commercialism of what I found in the west. We give our children a single small gift ($20 worth) and that’s it. No over indulgence. But we do always make it a family day (we generally get 3 days off work)
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Interesting. We are of that “strange” breed: Christians who do not celebrate Christmas. And our children took pleasure in telling everyone that it was their choice, too. 🙂 After all, how can anyone honour the prophet by overindulgence?
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