isany1listening

Ah, the Holidays…..They are here in full force. I spent yesterday venturing out to the mall to get Christmas gifts. Now I know what you are going to say: It is the Saturday before Christmas, of course the stores are packed and you have to expect a certain amount of annoyance to accompany your shopping experience. And you are right to advise me of that. But still, I can not help but say what I need to say: I hate the Holidays. The long lines, the picked over merchandise in stores, the crowds and the screaming kids. It makes for the most awful of events. Parents, if you kids are not well behaved and don’t want to be dragged from store to store, do us all a favor and leave them home. Get a babysitter. My biggest complaint this year is the myriad of screaming kids everywhere! Look if your son or daughter is prone to throwing temper tantrums, they really should not leave the house. I am of the school that children should be seen and not heard, and if I ever did in public what I have seen done, my parents would give me a good spanking. And they would be right! So please, please, please, I am begging you, leave your ill-mannered monsters at home.

Sorry that could not be helped. And no I don’t have kids, but I am smart enough to know that I should not reproduce the monstrosity that is me. But there are children that I do like and there are plenty of well behaved kids out there. And they can go shopping, but the constantly scremaing ones, I am not a fan of.

Okay, I have harped on that long enough. The Holidays. The commercialism, all of the fake happy people, all of the happy happy people, it is all too much for this lonely heart to bear. This year it seems even more unbearable than previous. When you are single, or just plain lonely, this time of year sucks. And the happy people of the world do not make it any better. It makes it that much worse. Yes, we can take comfort in our families who are obligated to love us anyway, but sleeping alone this time of year, is just awful. Now I am trying to find the real Christmas spirit, I really am. And I do love being around my family and seeing the holiday cheer spread around, but those moments when I am fighting the crowds and the nights when I am alone, it is terrible. And loneliness seems to cut even more this time of year. That is all I wanted to say. I feel for all of us out there who are going through the same things. I guess we can take comfort in the fact that in our lonlieness, we are not alone, because there are many of us out there, admittedly or not, who feel the same way.

So before I go and put a fake smile on my face, and pretend that I am in the holiday spirit, I just wanted to let out one last sigh, and say to all of the unhappy and miserable people out there: it is okay to not be happy this time of year. Take your misery and hug and hold it dear. Then put on the smile, be merry, and complain about it to anyone who will listen. Meeting of the Unhappy People Club and the People who Hate the Holidays Club adjourned.

Happy Holidays!

Today is December 1st, World AIDS Today.  It is a day to stop and think about the disease that has affected so many throughout the world, especially in the countries of Africa.  As someone who has been involved in the ONE campaign for years, I don’t think I will be ever be able to understate that there is still more to be done when it comes to AIDS, particularly in Africa.  It is always heartbreaking to me when people who cannot afford to get the medication that is so readily available in the U.S. and Europe, cannot access it so easily.  Fortunately, there are organizations out there who aid African countries, and plenty of people working for this cause—Bono comes to mind as one among the many.  But still it is not enough, there is always more, particularly when there are countries whose politics prevent the treatment of its people.  My request for anyone who reads this post today, is to stop and think about what it means to have a World AIDS Day, and how many people are affected by HIV and AIDS.  Think of the many children who have contracted the disease.  Think about those who go untreated because they do not have the access or the money for medications.  If you want to do more than just reflect, go out and buy some RED products.  Today you can go to any Starbucks and purchase a drink and part of the proceeds will go to the RED cause.  I encourage you to at least buy a cup of coffee and participate in helping to further the solution of this epidemic.  We can make progress and we can all help and do our part!

I come from a big family, well a big extended family.  My mom is the oldest of eight.  As far as I can remember, we have had breakfast every Sunday at my grandmother’s and grandfather’s house.  Since my grandmother passed away a few years ago, we still keep the tradition.  Some Sundays, only a few family members show up, but some almost everyone does.  It can be hit or miss, but regardless of the number, there is never a dull moment.

Today was an exceptional Sunday when half of the family was there.  Lots of conversations, eggs and sausage, pancakes, little kids running around and of course the new puppy made an appearance.  To any outsider, especially those who wish they had a big family, it would be quite a warm and friendly site.  Who wouldn’t want to have breakfast on the weekend with their family?  A chance to spend time with those who you are closest to and love the most.  And for someone like me, it is a great free meal.

But make no mistake, as much as I can say about the benefits of the family breakfast, there is also some disadvantages.  The fights that break out, the yelling that happens, and the kids running amok!  Why do I torture myself?  This is the question I ask every other week, but truth be told it can be fun, especially when you are not in the middle of the drama.

Money, politics, religion, there is no topic that goes without comment at the table.  Today we spoke briefly about politics and then as more and more of the little ones arrived, things descended into chaos.  I spent more time taking my two year old cousin by the legs and hanging him upside down, then anything else.  Of course that was not half the fun as two of the little ones and myself piling on top of my brother who was exhausted and trying to sleep on the couch.  Regardless, the emotion in the room reached an excess and no fights broke out.  The state of the Catholic church and Catholic education was discussed at length, but I did not pay much attention.  What can I say, I just wasn’t that into it.  My interests were in the little kids and chasing them around, giving me the chance to act like I was five again and I enjoyed every minute.   Of course with the Thanksgiving Holiday coming up, dinner and desserts were discussed in detail.  Something to look forward to: turkey, stuffing, pumpkin and pecan pies!

I guess there is no real point to this post, except to share a bit of my family life with the rest of the world.  I thought it would be nice to change up the topic a bit.  Amidst the changing world we live in, the election, and the failing economy, it is nice to take a small comfort in the chaotic reality of my family.  It is a double-edged sword, and for those who hate their families, I am sure they think this is pointless.  But for those who like their families this may be slightly amusing.  Either way, for me it is bittersweet and I take what I can get.   Happy Sunday!