"My brother almost killed himself."
"Merry Christmas."
Also, as I think is well-known, Christmas is the time of year with the highest suicide rates. It's because many people don't have friends and/or family. So reminding them of Christmas only makes things worse.
What are you celebrating anyway? Are you religious? Almost certainly not, given the UK church attendance rates. So what's the point? It's just a mindless distraction from your miserable life. While the elite are profiting off of your labour, making more money than they'll ever need in ten lifetimes, you get to sit in your hovel watching YouTube videos and opening crap gifts.
I can't remember if it was my ladyfriend or Ms Powers who suggested that I should get a Christmas tree and decorate my flat and whatnot. I said, "Why? It's just me here." They said it would be nice.
That seems sadder to me than just not celebrating. I mean...who is the tinsel for? It's just weird.
People say it's sad that I don't do anything for Christmas and whatever...Thanksgiving. But I don't see it that way. I mean, if you want to spend time with your family, that's great, but you don't need a cooked up holiday to do it. And if you don't want to take part in these pointless holidays then that's great too.
Yeah, my ladyfriend asked if I did anything for Thanksgiving when I was a kid. I just said I had a big meal and changed the subject. It's just the normal stuff, I guess. You eat a big turkey. Do I miss that? No. And I can eat a big turkey whenever I want.
It's more about being with your family, I guess, but if you don't like your family, as many people don't, it's no loss.
Trying to think what the last Christmas was. Well, I guess it was the one time I went back to the US since leaving. Man...when was this? My neice was probably...14? 15? I don't know. So...four years ago, I guess.
It was awful and I said I wouldn't do it again. We were going to my sister's. My sister is a total bitch and I haven't spoken to her in probably 15 years. So I told my mother, "I'm not going to her place." She said that I was.
I'm a 35 year old man and she's ordering me around. I made it very plain to her that I did not want to go. I made that clear even before I left. I told her that I would not be going to my sister's home. She just glossed over this. Then when I'm actually in my mother's home, I have to go.
So it was terrible. I got her kids £10 Lego sets because I hate her kids too. And it's awkward giving those kids £10 pieces of shit when I gave my other neices nice gifts. Then my sister ended up stealing her gift to me back from me and denying that she did so to my mother.
And the whole time I'm in my mother's house I'm just resting on the couch under some blankets. She keeps commenting on this, "Your whole trip is just you under the blankets" but there's NOTHING to do. I mean...have something planned. You want to play board games or something? What do normal families do? I don't know. And she doesn't drive so there's nowhere to go. It's a shit little town with nothing to do. We went to the drug store once. I got some candy for the airplane trip back to London. That was it.
Total shit. How much did that cost me? And for what? I didn't gain anything from it. I hated it.
"Did you score any cool gifts? I love consumerism!"
No. I got a robot vacuum from my mother and a coat from my sister. I actually wear the coat to this day and use the vacuum but was it worth the trip for that? Certainly not.
Then my mother got me a vacuum again last Christmas. That was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. I was through the roof. "Get this shit out of my home. Don't ever send me this garbage again. Get me the receipt so I can send it back to Amazon for a refund." I don't even know if they did refund her credit card or whatever she used because she couldn't find any pertinent information. But at least I got that thing out of my house.
I mean, how many vacuums does a person need? And it's the stereotypical shit gift. It's the go to joke shit gift. "So what did you for Christmas? A vacuum? Hehe. No, seriously, what did you get?"
And then she has the nerve to complain about the gifts that I bought for her as a child? Here's an ADULT sending vacuum cleaners year after year.
Speaking of crap gifts, I got my ladyfriend a little pendant with a dog on it. It was totally last minute. It was like £125 for Tiffany's. So...the money was right. I was looking to spend about £125. But it's just a tiny, overpriced, silver dog pendant.
They had bracelets and necklaces and shit but I didn't want to spend money on something that she won't like so isn't going to wear. Especially if it's something expensive. So at least with the dog pendant, I don't expect her to wear it but it's just a cute little decorative thing. I don't know. Can put it...somewhere. I don't know.
When is she coming here? The 28th? That's sooner than I thought. And she'll be here about a week. That will be nice. I think that's the longest she'll have stayed. I don't know. Maybe she was here for a week last time.
