You’re not alone chap. Christmas is such a target,a focus, a utopian day of unlimited

Pleasure, or so were lead to believe. I used to love it as a child and certainly enjoyed it as an adult-child (why is there no actual name for one of those?) to my parents. We always had a very traditional normal suburban day, very middle England.
As a parent myself I kinda felt pressure that I wanted my kids to enjoy it, which they always have said they have. And now that my wife and I have lost all four parents in the last five years, and the kids away at uni and work, and various members of our extended family have distanced themselves, Christmas is a very different time for us now.
There’s always been the pressure of our busiest, most lucrative and therefore important time at the shop which never fails to add a bit of tension, even after 35 years in the business.
I don’t think the weather ever helps, places seem so desolate, Christmas markets/ winter wonderlands, and other hideous forced enjoyment spectacles.
I don’t even consider the football as part of it, I’m not letting the actions of those 11 people from all around the country, who every 7 days play in the same colour clothes as each other, representing a city that I live near and work in, make me too unhappy. I’ll save that unhappiness for the people I’ve loved and lost, enjoyed and endured and will some day join again.
As my daughter said to MrsAp’s father “Grandad, at least you’ve got your legs”

Unlike Norwich going by yesterday’s performance.

Posted By: Augustus Pablo, Dec 10, 11:05:19