the cynic’s holiday
I’m sure you’ve had your fill of clichés, they seem to come in heaps this time of year. I’ll spare us both the agony – this is a rant, you’ll find no holiday cheer in the following words. These words are no doubt off topic here, however, some of my favorite reading over the season included the guy who nailed Santa to a cross, Wikipedia’s article on Christmas, and TorrentFreak’s Most Memorable Quotes of 2007.
The Christmas article helped me understand some of my dread towards the holiday. Don’t get me wrong, I think spending quality time with friends and family is great, but why do we need a skewed holiday in order for it to happen? What’s wrong with inviting a few loved ones around, swapping overpriced and underused consumables, creating some drama, overeating and getting shit-faced any other time of year? I for one enjoy a good New Years bash (for the holiday-stress relieving qualities), but the wastefulness of Christmas makes me want to puke a little, then again, that might be last night’s bash talking. Consider for a moment how many resources are wasted in powering all those horrid Christmas lights, let alone the waste in manufacturing, distributing, warehousing, and retailing the vomit inducing illuminations. Then there’s the unwanted gifts, the wrapping, excessive packaging, wasted food and drink, crackers with stupid hats, bad jokes and useless trinkets, lost time searching for the elusive Wii, and the poor, poor dead trees. I won’t get too far into the whole anti-consumer nor environmental thing – who really cares?
As for New Years Resolutions, I made one several years ago never to make any again, so far so good. If you think they work, may I suggest you make a resolution to see your Proctologist, he might find your head. Lifestyle choices are just that, make your choices and live them, don’t wait for the beginning of a Roman invention to alleviate your vices.
This post is a little late for the season, but I was far too busy living the cliché to find the time to write sooner. Here’s to a wasteful 2008 – the economy needs us, the environment does not.