CHRISTMAS INSANITY

By Johanne James

Good day to you all and how have you been this week? Good? Then let me begin.

Christmas insanity. I’m sure, unless you have been living on Mars with your eyes closed and you fingers in your ears, how mad, how truly mad it gets at this time of year. It’s the greatest excuse to get drunk and kiss the girl or guy in the office that you have had a liking for. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, sang the wonderful Andy Williams. Well, I don’t know about wonderful, but it certainly gets very busy indeed. People end up with thousands of pounds worth of debt for one day of the year, and then it’s gone! Maxed out on credit cards and then spend the rest of the year paying it back! Crikey! We stuff our faces, drink more alcohol than a wishing well and stick ourselves in front of the TV and watch re runs of The Greatest Story Ever Told. I remember as a child that most things shut down on this day, but now it seems that you can get anything and most shops are open. There’s so much more traffic as people no longer honour or respect what was once deemed a holy day, and now it’s just a good way for shop keepers to generate a few more pounds as the tills will jangle with a few more coffers that line their pockets. Let’s make as much money as we can and exploit those people who can least afford it. We are now obligated to run ourselves ragged and panic if something goes wrong! The amount of time that my dear mother would spend in the kitchen was certainly not worth the amount of time it took to consume what she had prepared for a multitude of mouths, and with little appreciation. I certainly would appreciate her cooking now! Lol.

The true meaning of Christmas has been lost in a world of commercial activity and profitability, it is now no more than an economic exercise. There is a lot of giving of gifts, but the greatest gift for me, would be to spend time with my loved ones. Well, I would if I had any? Ha ha ha ha ha. I jest. Have you noticed how much more traffic is generated through this time? The traffic is multiplied by at least 10, and you find yourself playing a game of ‘dodge the Christmas shopper with a trolley full of goodies’. You find yourself fighting for a parking space that you normally wouldn’t even notice, and then there is the anxiety of not finding what it was you were looking for to please a very special person, and then hope that what you did get will be just as pleasing. Then, so much can be done online now and those who were smart enough had already done their Christmas shopping many months ago and can now relax and watch the madness of others commence.

The best thing about Christmas for me is that I don’t get involved in this insanity, plus I get at least a month off work, so how wonderful is that? It has lost its meaning purely down to how crazy it has become. “What did you get?” is the usual question. “A year older”, is usually my answer, and not much else! But please don’t let my dissatisfaction put you off enjoying this time of year. Every day is Christmas for me, as it means I get to do more or less as I please. That’s the best present I could possibly wish for.

Happy Christmas to you and all the best for the new year.

Thanks for listening.

Johanne James


#christmas #insanity