I must do more things! Before January! Things to do!

[hawkwing_lb]

While Christmas is a culturally-mandated celebration, it is not one I actually enjoy. I enjoy giving gifts. I just wish mutual gift-giving could be divorced from the religious mummery, lip-service to which appears to be required. Because the religious stuff feels oppressive and makes my insides hurt.

Anyway.

To-do list:

1. Write 2000 words of thesis chapter at least. 3600 would be better, but seems unlikely.

2. Write column for January

3. Review Touch.

4a. Read The Almost Girl.
4b. Review The Almost Girl.

5. Contact Ideo about spring reviews.

6a. Cardio session in gym.
6b. Mixed session in gym.

7. Write up last lot of this year's books read.

Comments

[sovay]

I just wish mutual gift-giving could be divorced from the religious mummery, lip-service to which appears to be required. Because the religious stuff feels oppressive and makes my insides hurt.

Were you raised with a religious Christmas? I ask because I was not raised with any sense of religious obligation to the holiday; it is a center of family and celebration of being together, gift-giving being one of the ways that is shown. But I was also not raised—and am not—Christian; I'm aware of the tidal wave of Jesus that swamps the culture around this time of year, but I don't feel it's something I'm personally having to resist so much as something that's never meant much to me.

Maybe you should arrange a gift-exchange with people you love for the summer solstice.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I was baptised Catholic and raised so, in a very lax fashion, complete with attending a Catholic girls' secondary school. The cultural tenor at this time of year is oppressively religious, in the "Well, of course everyone celebrates Christmas," and the "Of course holiday cards will have religious motifs," way, and it just makes my insides hurt because three-quarters of it is patent insincerity and the remainder is earnestness and obligation. There's no way to have a space separate from that.

And I'm probably over-sensitive this year, anyway.

[sovay]

and it just makes my insides hurt because three-quarters of it is patent insincerity and the remainder is earnestness and obligation. There's no way to have a space separate from that.

It is difficult; you have to make one. If you don't have family and friends who will create that space with you, especially so. I don't argue with that.

And I'm probably over-sensitive this year, anyway.

Eh. Doesn't mean it doesn't still suck.

*hugs*

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

*hugs back*

[between4walls.livejournal.com]

AFAIK Russian-style New Year's Day is basically the gifting/tree aspect of Christmas- you could do the gifting on New Year's if that makes it better, though there's no getting away from the of course we're all Christian atmosphere. Which doesn't bug me, but I wasn't raised Christian and it must be a lot more annoying if you were raised that way and quit.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely more sensitive to it this year. Such is life, I suppose.

(I wasn't raised practicing religious. But culture, and so on.)