Does Christmas make anyone else feel like a grinch?

Don't feel bad Julien.
 
I stopped 'doing' Christmas altogether 11 years ago - no family, no friends.
 
I don't call anyone. I don't go to parties.
 
I don't buy any gifts anymore.
 
I don't even wish people Merry Christmas anymore.
 
I also remember how it was really great when I was a kid too.
 
But things have just gotten way 'too mental' with it all. Now it even starts way before Halloween, [of which I think there should actually be a law against].
 
Every year, I just can't help but notice how 'happy' Christmas shoppers are, standing in lines that are way too long, looking hot, tired, miserable, impatient & frustrated, all just to buy things for people they don't really want to buy for, [but 'have to' out of obligation], spending money they don't have on people they don't bother with or just outright avoid the rest of the year.
 
And that's even before everyone gets together for a supposedly 'joyous feast'.
 
Seems Christmas is for the stores and advertising agencies now, more than anything else.
 
Don't feel bad about anything that bothers you, or that you have mixed feelings about, at the very least.
 
I can assure you that you're not alone.
 
Sounds to me what you're 'not feeling so good about' is the attitude & behavior of others.
 
That's my main complaint and trouble with society in general these days - and that's all year long.
 
 

Thank you! (BTW, you have friends.. here)
 
Julien

Due to a decision by the Aria direction to put the focus on conventions, they've announced last week that they were closing their theatre - meaning that Cirque will be pulling the plug on my wife's show April 30th.
 
As you may guess, no one around here feels really Christmassy.
 
That being said, we have tons of projects and lots of openings. But, even though there had been rumours ever since we arrived here, getting the actual new not even 10 days before Christmas was quite a blow.
 
I can only imagine some of those artists and acrobats who've just bought a house and have newborns and or babies on the way, w/ no green card or nothing... At least, we only have ourselves and our pets to think of, and we have the green cards and all.
 
As for the rest, I'm looking forward to a quiet Christmas eve with my lovely lady and a dinner and party with a couple of dear friends the 25th. I'm really not a family type of guy, anyway.

Rain
Due to a decision by the Aria direction to put the focus on conventions, they've announced last week that they were closing their theatre - meaning that Cirque will be pulling the plug on my wife's show April 30th.
 
As you may guess, no one around here feels really Christmassy.
 
That being said, we have tons of projects and lots of openings. But, even though there had been rumours ever since we arrived here, getting the actual new not even 10 days before Christmas was quite a blow.
 
I can only imagine some of those artists and acrobats who've just bought a house and have newborns and or babies on the way, w/ no green card or nothing... At least, we only have ourselves and our pets to think of, and we have the green cards and all.
 
As for the rest, I'm looking forward to a quite Christmas eve with my lovely lady and a dinner and party with a couple of dear friends the 25th. I'm really not a family type of guy, anyway.

Wow that sucks, but as you say, at least you have the green cards. The US is your oyster!

It was many years ago that the end of year holiday cycle failed to pull me in.  The wife and I use this time of year as a reminder of how fortunate we are (relative), so we focus on doing things for folks that need a little help.  And the local animal shelter.
 
Fortunately we live far enough away from our families that nobody visits without it being a planned trip. 
 
You're not alone in the way you feel.  It all seems so phony to me.  People that never smile have big smiles on their faces, but I've always been able to immediately ID the fakes.  It's like a world full of people with fresh Botox treatments.
 
I do take advantage of sales on the rare occasions that a good deal presents itself, but mostly this time of year is just like the rest of the year for us.  I think it helps a lot that we cook turkeys 3 or 4 other times during the year 
 
Do I feel guilty?  Not in the least.  IMO it's everybody else that should feel guilty for pretending to be somebody they aren't AND pressuring everybody else to do the same.

Hi,
 
I have never been one for this Holiday or a whole lot of other Holidays.
 
I think that a lot of it had to do with mom, always getting us some new underwear, sox or t-shirts for Christmas, and you always saw your friend with something different, and more fun, at least momentarily. We never got any toys, because the family was not commercialized and we were in the bad side of things in Brazil (really bad - picture of the house in Assis was a hut!), and didn't really get "lucky" until we came to America. I guess we have dad to thank!
 
As I reach 65, another Christmas or New Year, or birthday, is just another day, that I like to be alone, and on my own ... I can write, I can play WoW, or go turn on the music ... and that is the way I like it. But one could easily say that it is so, because I never had a family, never married, and never had kids ... but then ... i do not think I was suitable material for that movie at all!
 
When it comes to gifties, though, I am usually all over it, and in some ways, I don't even want the person to know where it came from ... why? The best things in life for me, were the total surprises, and I loved them dearly. I could cry and say thanks and appreciate those I was with, and how they cared. I prefer to be "invisible" in these situations and in employee parties and gifties for our specialty group, I always donate big.
 
But, as time goes by, the only thing I would love to have is the one that will never happen ... someone that we can sit here and talk about Bunuel, Noe, Lean, Kubrick, and many other movies, and discuss our new work ... and how I have written a complete novel in my head, never done that before, and am working on bringing it down now. I have always, otherwise, been 100% insitinctive, to the point of obstinacy. I totally love the experiments and improvisations, and the new and different feelings they bring to the front, and this is hard to experience in a relationship that has demands that are not artistic "values".
 
Until something else comes along ... I just keep writing ... playing a little music ... and experimenting ... I have 3 new poems with music ... and while they are rather primitive, they are/were exciting to my inner experience ... that I did them, and will do more!
 
The rest? I don't know ... can't say! Just OK to be here ... happy ... sure ... why not?

Mesh

Rimshot
Rain, I am sorry to hear that news. I can understand why you are not in a Christmas mood. I hope all goes well with you and family. 
I like Christmas because it has religious significance for me. My son Alex is home from his first quarter at college and our house is bright and cheery. Just had my company party at a nice old restaurant by the ocean.
I am in the local Rotary club and I actually rang bells for the Salvation Army last week! Never did that before. 
I think it is a time for giving. The presents are fun but the family part of it still moves me.
To each their own. I just had a birthday and am grateful to be alive and healthy. So many things to be grateful for actually. 
Christmas is good in my world. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and that next year brings you peace, love, and opportunities. 
 
Rimshot

+1
 
I also like Christmas very much as it is definitely a religious holiday for my family and me. We try our very best to celebrate Christmas in the true spirit and this still brings out the same sentiments/feelings as it was when we were growing up.
Sadly, the world outside has lost the true meaning of Christmas and the main focus seems to be only about getting gifts.....the malls and shopping centers are just full of inconsiderate/disrespectful/self centered people stampeding around like a herd of buffaloes. 
We do everything we can to avoid malls and shopping centers during the Christmas season (like most in here are doing). We generally focus on giving to families/children whom are not as Blessed as we are and bring some Christmas joy into their lives....i.e. going to hospitals/nursing homes/singing Christmas Carol's to patients/people whom aren't as fortunate as we are....is just a priceless. I always believe that charity comes from the heart and there's nothing more heart-warming when we see the happiness & joy it brings to their hearts.....you can clearly see it in their glowing eyes.......Merry Christmas!!
     

+1

kennywtelejazz
I plan on buying some firewood and lighting up my fireplace for a little Christmas Spirit and ambiance .
 

 

 
YIKES! MOVE THAT GUITAR BEFORE YOU LIGHT IT!!!
 

kennywtelejazz
The following weekend her roommate drove up from NYC to use the house to unwind ....
She left the damper shut , lit a fire and they wound up having to paint the whole interior ...

 
Wow, she's probably very lucky to be alive!  If she wasn't paying enough attention, it's easy to get carbon monoxide poisoning and just go to sleep never to wake up again... 
 

Christmas is supposed to be a time of giving...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PM me for a list of what I'd like you to give..

No presents under my tree. Somebody didn't get the memo.

jbow
 
RAIN.... wow. I am sure you will land on your feet. If all else fails, move to Atlanta. It is growing, has great weather, a good music scene between ATL and Athens... and they are building a HUGE park a few miles from where I live Lakepointe, plus a Hollywood company is building a Hunger Games themed virtual reality park (750 acres) with an amphitheater, two hotels, two shopping malls, Lakepointe is building a Bass Pro Shop.. so there are going to be LOTS of opportunities around here.
I hope everyone else lands well, man... I'm sure you will do well though. Cirque should be helping it's people and I bet they will step up as much as they can. They seem to be that sort of company... but, hey! Come on down! You'd be welcome around here!
 
Keep us posted. I was wondering where you were yesterday. I haven't seen you much lately. Try to not worry, you're young and life always has twists and turns. You are not a slouch, you'll be fine... just keep your wife feeling secure, I'm sure she'll need an extra hug now and then.
 
Julien
 

Thanks, my friend. 
 
You know, the funny thing is that just a few days ago, we were watching a silly movie which takes place in Atlanta and surrounding areas. It's rare that I pay much attention to those things, but it sure made a favorable impression on me as I found myself telling my wife that we really needed to visit Atlanta/Georgia someday.
 
As for the show... Ultimately, it all boils down to MGM wishing to take a different direction w/ the Aria. I'm not sure Cirque would have pulled the plug on that show just yet otherwise.
 
They will obviously try and assign people to different shows, and offer them assistance finding work. By a strange twist of fate, it's actually a good thing that my wife underwent surgery last month and is off for the next few months, as it allows her to spend her time and energy making plans and preparing for the future. She has many options, and so much talent...
 
Another strange twist of fate is that the car accident last January was sort of a blessing in disguise, as the insurance money came in just around the right time - worst case scenario is not as bad as it could have been otherwise.
 
Yet another coincidence is that I finally got my Social Security number the morning of the day they announced they were pulling the plug on the show. So I've actually started applying for jobs, including a job at Cirque which was  advertised the very next morning.
 
I guess I'm a man of many funny coincidences, uh? :)