I hate Christmas

[diaglo]

You've made it clear the phrase "I want" is central to your being, but try going through christmas without it, and see the gifts as the people giving them to you see them rather than through your jaded little reality filter. You might actually surprise yourself and enjoy it. Lord knows that if what you're projecting here is indicative of the real you, your family will certainly appreciate the change.

you need to add rose coloured in there somewhere. a phrase SR uses often when trying to type on RPG message boards where others still play older games.

 

[Storm Raven]

There are thousands of people who will receive nothing more this Christmas than barely enough food to get by, if that. There are thousands of kids who have no one to spend Christmas with and will not get gifts at all. I'm sorry you got an expensive pen from parents who obviously love you. You certainly are a victim of the season.

Yeah, yeah. Children are starving in Africa. I feel bad about it. I've even lived with it (lived in Africa for nine years and did what I could). But the blunt fact of the matter is that has no bearing whatsoever on the gift-giving proclivities of my family.

 

[billd91]

diaglo "who made many gifts, worked multiple jobs, and still got people gifts" Ooi

edit: there are numerous stories about this

How many of them on criminal rap sheets?

 

[Crothian]

You mean I should see the gifts as stuff that caught their eye when they were doing their real shopping and stuffed in their cart as an afterthought? Make no mistake about it, when someone buys you The Waterboy after you hinted that you would like the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack, that's exactly how much thought went into the gift.

How do you know this? You are just assumning that since they bought you something you don't want that they spent little time thinking on it.

Perhaps this year you should buy the gifts you want and just bill your relatives? That sounds like it might be the perfect way to handle this. Then you could wrap the gifts and be all happy when you open them. You wouldn't have to be rude to people by being disappointing and uncaring and not giving a darn what other think,

 

[PowerWordDumb]

You mean I should see the gifts as stuff that caught their eye when they were doing their real shopping and stuffed in their cart as an afterthought? Make no mistake about it, when someone buys you The Waterboy after you hinted that you would like the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack, that's exactly how much thought went into the gift.

Or maybe they really like The Waterboy, and hoped you might pull the stick out and get a laugh out of it too?

No, you're right - it must have been meant to offend. Silly me.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

you need to add rose coloured in there somewhere. a phrase SR uses often when trying to type on RPG message boards where others still play older games.

Soon as I see anything remotely rose-coloured in the posts, I'll give it some thought.

 

[reveal]

Yeah, yeah. Children are starving in Africa. I feel bad about it. I've even lived with it (lived in Africa for nine years and did what I could). But the blunt fact of the matter is that has no bearing whatsoever on the gift-giving proclivities of my family.

You're right, it doesn't. It has everything to do with your perspective on Christmas. You feel Christmas should be a time where you deserve to get exactly what you want. If it's not exactly what you want, you feel that absolutely no thought went into it and, therefore, it's crap.

Christmas is not supposed to be about that. Christmas is about family and counting your blessings. It's about being thankful for all that you have and realizing that just because you didn't get what you want, it does not mean that the givers didn't care about you. If you don't want it, then give it to charity, as you do, and let that be it. Be thankful you even have a family and kiss your kids goodnight being thankful that they live in a warm house with loving parents.

 

[reveal]

Perhaps this year you should buy the gifts you want and just bill your relatives? That sounds like it might be the perfect way to handle this. Then you could wrap the gifts and be all happy when you open them. You wouldn't have to be rude to people by being disappointing and uncaring and not giving a darn what other think,

Time wasted opening gifts I don't like = Billable Hours? It's so crazy it just might work!

 

[Storm Raven]

Perhaps this year you should mail out letters to everyone saying that you are not participating in Christmas anymore and they should just not buy you anything this year. That way you know you are not going to be insulted by your unloving lazy family.

That would be fine by me. I would rather get no gifts than get gifts given that clearly have limited thought behind them. I would rather not have to feign happiness that I got a doorstop hedgehog thing that got given away the next day. Give me nothing and I'll be a happy man.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

No, that's being a mail order deliveryman. Thinking about them means getting them what they actually want.

You have a strange idea of what "thinking of someone" means. You seem to think that it all revolves around you, that you should get what YOU want.

You have no clue what gifts and giving are really about, and you know what, you might want to add something to that list of yours...

EDIT: Ralts, that's a bit too far. -Henry

You come across as a spoiled, soulless, joyless person that Christmas only exists for you to get stuff you haven't gotten around to purchasing yourself.

I shudder to think about how you go about picking Christmas gifts.

In which case I would likely return it and get something I actually wanted. Not what you thought I would want.

Boy, you're about ungrateful and unfeeling. You do know what Christmas is about, don't you? It's like you're custom made for Marley to visit you with a billy club.

No, I would not want any of those things. In point of fact, I have previously (before they bought the gift) said to the people who got me the pen that I do not now, and never will want a pen.

You don't get it, do you? You don't even get what the pen symbolizes, or what it means?

Your a professional, a lawyer, and obviously successful since you aren't posting here from a cardboard box.

Look up the signifigance of a pen. Seems to me that your parents were thoughtful. You're just shallow and ungrateful.

And wasted your money and effort on something I probably do not want.

Me, me, me, me!

You honestly have no joy in your life, do you?

Now, I'm supposed to pretend I'm happy about it to make you happy. Sorry, I'm not going to do that. Maybe if I tell you I would like something from list next time, you would get me something from my list.

Or I could get you JACK! NOTHING! NADA!

Merry Feast of the Pig!

You mean like these items that were also on the list that you didn't bother to copy?

Yeah, and I'm willing to bet you'd piss and moan about those too. Lamenting they didn't get you the more expensive things, or only purchased one of them for you.

To tell the truth, I don't ever expect that I will get everything on my list. Or even the most expensive thing I list. I know the price ranges of the prople in my family, and make a list that encompasses those price ranges. Some people will buy on the low end. Some on the high end. Perhaps it would make you feel better know that the pen in question cost more than anything on my list.

You really don't get what the pen was about, do you?

Actually, it doesn't. It just shows me further that you have no clue what Christmas is about, the symbolism involved in the pen, or the care and thought your parents put into the gift.

Man, for Christmas you should sit and watch all those little kids shows.

None of my relatives work for minimum wage. I know this. I know the price ranges they buy gifts in. My list is constructed accordingly.

That's not the point. The point is: Either get you what you want, or you'll be an ungrateful wretch.

Good for your relatives, but you don't get it, do you? You're coming across as a poor spoiled rich boy who didn't get a diamond studded flying pony for Christmas, so now you're going to throw a fit.

If you actually cared about them, then yes, you would get them what they want.

Your definition of caring is fundementally incorrect.

Caring about someone isn't giving them what they want.