Alone again... naturally...for the holidays? (blogs, relationship, children, places)
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Thanksgiving Day will be lunch with my parents, probably followed by seeing my aunt/grandmother, then over to my girlfriend's. Christmas will be much the same.
I see all the family that is close to me pretty regularly. The holidays aren't that special to me in that regard.
I remember as a kid, my mom and I were living on an AF base in Japan and my dad was stationed in Vietnam, spending Christmas there. Was he alone? No. Were we alone? No. But it sure felt lonely for all involved. However, I think he actually had a pretty decent time in spite of it, and I guess we did too, though I don't really remember that Christmas so I don't think we did much of anything. I do remember when he got home, he showed us slides of the "Christmas tree" on the door of his quarters, and a picture of a paper plate full of holiday food. He said everyone was sort of down but also sort of up if that makes sense. It was warm there so in all the photos he shared, guys were shiny with sweat and were either shirtless or wearing a wife beater - LOL.
I think it's fine if people want to volunteer to work holidays, but not force people to do so.
Places like hospitals have no choice. I always liked volunteering to work more holidays than the every-other requirement. Once a woman gave me $100 to work for her.
Places like hospitals have no choice. I always liked volunteering to work more holidays than the every-other requirement. Once a woman gave me $100 to work for her.
I realize that. I didn't work in a hospital or emergency services. They could have easily done without me but chose to put me on the schedule for virtually every legal holiday year after year just because they could. I was a real trooper and never called out during a holiday even though I hated every minute of working while friends and family would have the day off. I was reliable and did my job well. That worked against me on holidays. And no, it wasn't worth a few extra dollars that were usually taken out by taxes anyway.
Last edited by marino760; 11-03-2021 at 05:21 PM..
Oh my.... if spending a relaxing day in my comfy pj's and eating delicious food is considered a lower level behavior, guess I will just have to accept that!
Yes, me too. I'll find a neanderthal outfit, hang out in a tree and eat a banana.
Some people can be so arrogant.
Enjoy the day the way YOU want and if other people feel better about it by being judgmental, then may no one ever pee in their cornflakes.
I guess "lower-level" behavior constitutes anything of which our illustrious friend disapproves. So instead of relaxing in your own home, you should be out sky-diving or bungee-jumping or surfing with the sharks.
Being "alone for the holidays" is not as pitiful as it sounds. For those who aren't, have fun. For those who are, do it your way.
There are many people that don't mind working the holidays, I'm just not one of them. I didn't work in emergency services BTW. I wasn't just talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think I worked ten 4th of July's in a row and every labor day, memorial day and New Years day for 15 years. I was sick of it, done with it and so happy when I retired and actually had a 4th of July off like a regular human being. Management was so messed up that they gave people the day off that didn't ask for it and others that wanted it off were scheduled to work. I would have gladly cooked all day in a hot kitchen to have a holiday off and be away from work.
Anyway, that nightmare is behind me now.
I understand completely about not liking or wanting to work holidays, I don't think I ever had any coworkers who did like it much. But we had to provide coverage for holidays and weekends, and I think our managers did their best to split the coverage fairly among all the employees. Most of the employees worked their share willingly, though there were a few that would try to get out of working the holidays ( my favorite excuse was......."but I shouldn't HAVE to work Christmas....... I have kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddds" ( as though no one else working there did.) and they'd get very bent out of shape at having to take their turns at working those holidays. I recall several donneybrook fights between employees over the years ( one in which two of them actually took swings at each other and had to be pulled apart by other employees and separated. This, I think, was over them both wanting spring break week off to be with their kiiiiiiiiiiids- heck, we all wanted that week off but only two people in the department could take it and it was others' turns to do so. They'd had other kerfluffles over working the holidays, but their fight over the spring break kind of brought things to a head.
I guess I kind of developed an sort of stress type reaction at the thoughts of having to line up over working or off holidays, after about 12-13 yrs of working in those settings I found jobs ( still in healthcare) where we didn't have to work weekends or holidays.
I realize that. I didn't work in a hospital or emergency services. They could have easily done without me but chose to put me on the schedule for virtually every legal holiday year after year just because they could. I was a real trooper and never called out during a holiday even though I hated every minute of working while friends and family would have the day off. I was reliable and did my job well. That worked against me on holidays. And no, it wasn't worth a few extra dollars that were usually taken out by taxes anyway.
I worked at a 24 hr answering service for years. Holidays were optional, but we were paid doible time if we volunteered to work. Sometimes double time and a half if they couldn’t people to sign on.
I would work some, but never Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I used to love working the morning shift on Thanksgiving, getting out around 2-3, going home to an almost ready Thanksgiving feast. My husband loved that too. He’d drink champagne, cook the turkey, start the sides, play with the kids. One year we did the turkey “low and “slow. He called me about mid-shift, in a panic because “The turkey collapsed!” Lol. Fun times.
Sorry this is off topic for the “alone” topic. I’ll try to refrain from here on in.
Oh wow, I treat myself to a whole birth month - LOL. There's no way my birthday could pass unnoticed.
For me, it's not a matter of presents or whatever - it's the joy of the human connection, the traditions, and seeing new ones too - I just love it.
Christmas has changed a lot for me over the years, as I think it should. But I do love that some traditions continue, and since they came from my dad, I really have no idea what the origin is, but my grandkids - his great grandkids - are still doing them. I like that.
Of course, many traditions have also fallen by the wayside. For instance, my dad always bought tinsel and we would put it all over the tree. It was a big deal - the whole family would do it. No one does tinsel anymore in our family.
My mom loved dolls and always bought me one and made a big, big deal out of it. I was never that crazy about dolls and didn't do the same for my own daughters.
When I was a kid, my dad had a reel to reel Christmas tape he had made - I think it had about 20 songs on it and it was THE SAME SONGS EVERY SINGLE YEAR FOR MOST OF MY CHILDHOOD and I loved them. I remember laying on the floor in front of a speaker listening to Melekelikimaka or however you spell it and thinking "This is great..." I actually really dislike that song now and I listen to all sorts of Christmas music and playlists. But I still get nostalgic when one of those other songs comes on (except Melekelikimaka) and I think of my childhood and laying by that speaker. I remember how young and youthful my parents were, and how much all of us loved Christmas.
I have a conundrum this year. I am going to visit my daughter in Germany for Christmas, so I won't be here. I wonder how much I should decorate? Probably not much. That will be weird but that's OK.
I have scarce decorations each year because I've made a habit of going north to see snow at Christmas time. I always have a nativity scene in the front yard as a testimony to those who have forgotten the real reason for the season. And my cats despise that I left them to fend for themselves with only limitless food and water but no substantial human interaction while I'm away. Ah well, absence makes the heart grow fonder, in humans and cats!
I realize that. I didn't work in a hospital or emergency services. They could have easily done without me but chose to put me on the schedule for virtually every legal holiday year after year just because they could. I was a real trooper and never called out during a holiday even though I hated every minute of working while friends and family would have the day off. I was reliable and did my job well. That worked against me on holidays. And no, it wasn't worth a few extra dollars that were usually taken out by taxes anyway.
Just curious, could you have said no to working yet another holiday, when you worked so many? It sounds like your employer just took the path of least resistance in scheduling you repeatedly, since you didn't object to working( at least not out loud), but should have split that holiday schedule with other employees there.
Ever since my son graduated from college and had to come home for the holidays because the dorms were closed, I've spent them alone, which is fine by me. Now he lives 2 hours away, but the traffic is always a nightmare on holidays, so we see each other at other times - in fact, I'll go there in 2 weeks for the weekend.
My very favorite Thanksgiving was a few years ago when I celebrated it on my friends' 44' ketch that they lived on. They made the turkey and mashed potatoes, I brought a salad and desert, and our other friend brought wine. Amazing how we put together such a great feast with such a tiny galley kitchen. I also spent some "orphans' Thanksgivings" with a bunch of friends when I lived in San Francisco. Those were fun, too.
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) and they'd get very bent out of shape at having to take their turns at working those holidays. I recall several donneybrook fights between employees over the years ( one in which two of them actually took swings at each other and had to be pulled apart by other employees and separated. This, I think, was over them both wanting spring break week off to be with their kiiiiiiiiiiids- heck, we all wanted that week off but only two people in the department could take it and it was others' turns to do so. They'd had other kerfluffles over working the holidays, but their fight over the spring break kind of brought things to a head. 
