It's Christmas Eve and I am having a fine time. I'm doing
housework and eating vanilla ice cream with molasses and ginger and a
gourmet lemon shortbread cookie. Tomorrow I'll eat peanuts and
apples and celery and turkey with yams and likely end up laying about
and watching holiday movies all day long. I will spend the day
simply, alone, happy, content and at peace.
So it is with the need for both individuals---and the public in general---to judge yet all I choose to do. Most peoples first thought will be: That's awful! How can I be happy spending a holiday in such a way? Aren't I lonely? What kind of a holiday meal is that anyway...how can I have a holiday without stuffing and cranberries and cakes and pies and buttered rolls and company and so on? And who do I think I am, to be spending food stamps on things like ice cream and expensive gourmet cookies?
Surely I must be crazy.....(that's a distinct possibility...but I digress).
Due to my years of isolation from my many illnesses, I found myself alone at a holiday some time ago. At first it seemed a little bit lonely and unfortunate...but I quickly began to realize that the time honored traditions of “HOLIDAY” impressed upon the brains of the American public had nothing at all to do with happiness. Over time, being free to do whatever I liked, I began to disengage from the idea of societal programming and began instead to appreciate the simplicity and peace of it all. No manic cleaning, no guests, no dealing with the odd insufferable relative, no drive to shop, cook, put up decorations, wrap presents, entertain and wash all those remaining pots and pans. No exhaustion. Truly no negativity. Over the years I have tried a couple of times (against my better judgment) to please others by having company (what a lot of thankless work that was!) and to accompany a friend to a family holiday meal where I was left to amuse myself with relatives who were not keen on my presence and presented with a meal, most of which was highly desirable yet not on my seriously exclusive diet....(what a miserable/boring day that was!) And today, after months of being away from this column, seriously ill and pretty much unable to do most of what needed attending to, I find myself in just the last two days, finally able to function! (Just go two months without doing any house work and you will find great joy in cleaning a toilet and other assorted annoying tasks.)
So here I am doing exactly what I want and have wanted to be able to do for quite some time. The only thing lacking being a very few goodies. Having recently gone onto an even more restrictive diet I was at odds for finding much of anything sweet that I could eat. Carrying a list of the "newly banned", it was determined that I could eat one brand of vanilla ice cream with few problems, along with the find of a single suitable package of gluten free cookies and a small box of candied ginger I have concocted a delightful sweet that won't put in me into anaphylactic shock. So go ahead and judge my injudicious purchase of what “should be” banned sweets by someone who uses food stamps. For some, my poverty is no excuse for even a cookie and some ice cream as I am simply a drain on the economy and they would happily point out that I really deserve even less.
Bah, Humbug ye Scrooges...for ye are proof that money does not bring thee happiness, but rather unhappiness and a need for thy scapegoats. But for today, as my Christmas Gift to the masses, I will happily play that role for you. Go ahead! Enjoy! Indulge yourself in a bit of self righteous condemnation...I won't tell and nobody's to be the wiser...
(Limited time offer/one day only. No rain checks. Offer expires Dec. 26, 2013)
My wish for all who read this: May the peace of the season find permanent residence within you, rather than it's somewhat limited yearly visitation.
Peace on Earth, good will to all, man and beast, big and small.
Todays Lesson: “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer
copyright Linda Matthews 12/27/2013
So it is with the need for both individuals---and the public in general---to judge yet all I choose to do. Most peoples first thought will be: That's awful! How can I be happy spending a holiday in such a way? Aren't I lonely? What kind of a holiday meal is that anyway...how can I have a holiday without stuffing and cranberries and cakes and pies and buttered rolls and company and so on? And who do I think I am, to be spending food stamps on things like ice cream and expensive gourmet cookies?
Surely I must be crazy.....(that's a distinct possibility...but I digress).
Due to my years of isolation from my many illnesses, I found myself alone at a holiday some time ago. At first it seemed a little bit lonely and unfortunate...but I quickly began to realize that the time honored traditions of “HOLIDAY” impressed upon the brains of the American public had nothing at all to do with happiness. Over time, being free to do whatever I liked, I began to disengage from the idea of societal programming and began instead to appreciate the simplicity and peace of it all. No manic cleaning, no guests, no dealing with the odd insufferable relative, no drive to shop, cook, put up decorations, wrap presents, entertain and wash all those remaining pots and pans. No exhaustion. Truly no negativity. Over the years I have tried a couple of times (against my better judgment) to please others by having company (what a lot of thankless work that was!) and to accompany a friend to a family holiday meal where I was left to amuse myself with relatives who were not keen on my presence and presented with a meal, most of which was highly desirable yet not on my seriously exclusive diet....(what a miserable/boring day that was!) And today, after months of being away from this column, seriously ill and pretty much unable to do most of what needed attending to, I find myself in just the last two days, finally able to function! (Just go two months without doing any house work and you will find great joy in cleaning a toilet and other assorted annoying tasks.)
So here I am doing exactly what I want and have wanted to be able to do for quite some time. The only thing lacking being a very few goodies. Having recently gone onto an even more restrictive diet I was at odds for finding much of anything sweet that I could eat. Carrying a list of the "newly banned", it was determined that I could eat one brand of vanilla ice cream with few problems, along with the find of a single suitable package of gluten free cookies and a small box of candied ginger I have concocted a delightful sweet that won't put in me into anaphylactic shock. So go ahead and judge my injudicious purchase of what “should be” banned sweets by someone who uses food stamps. For some, my poverty is no excuse for even a cookie and some ice cream as I am simply a drain on the economy and they would happily point out that I really deserve even less.
Bah, Humbug ye Scrooges...for ye are proof that money does not bring thee happiness, but rather unhappiness and a need for thy scapegoats. But for today, as my Christmas Gift to the masses, I will happily play that role for you. Go ahead! Enjoy! Indulge yourself in a bit of self righteous condemnation...I won't tell and nobody's to be the wiser...
(Limited time offer/one day only. No rain checks. Offer expires Dec. 26, 2013)
My wish for all who read this: May the peace of the season find permanent residence within you, rather than it's somewhat limited yearly visitation.
Peace on Earth, good will to all, man and beast, big and small.
Todays Lesson: “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer
copyright Linda Matthews 12/27/2013
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