A Christmas Dance - by Norman Rockwell
Let’s be honest. None of us need more crap. We spend so much time looking at pretty things on the internet thinking, “Oh that is so shiny / lovely/ fancy etc..”, but really, when it comes down to it how likely is it that we’d buy it all even if we had all the money in the world and where would we put it? Which brings me to my point.
For Christmas this year I don’t really want anything. Well, I certainly don’t want for anything, and there is very little on the list of things I covet that friends and family would actually know enough about me to find as gifts. I certainly don’t want boxes of bath salts and more serving platters. I don’t want novelty aprons or more things I have to dust.
Here is what I would like.
People with less attitude.
Around this time of year, many media columnists think we will be entertained by their rantings of how awful Christmas is. How the drunk uncle always sets the cat on fire and how crap it is to have to sit there with people you barely know wearing a paper hat from a cracker that leaks dye down your forehead on a sweaty Australian Christmas. Clearly, I am already familiar with these scenarios, but reliving them over and over again through the eyes of a jaded columnist does nothing to make me feel better about the situation.
Instead I would like to read (for a change), a family who doesn’t give a damn that their turkey was overcooked because they got to spend one last precious Christmas with 92 year old Nana. How the children sat in wonder listening to tales of her childhood that gave them a sense of just how lucky they are, before singing a Carol or two and popping off to bed.
I’d like to hear about how whole streets got together to pool all their Christmas cash to donate to a shelter instead of buying each other more of those bath salts again.
I’m no Pollyanna, but I do know one thing; reading about how crap things are all the time makes you feel just that – crap. And that is not the Christmas I choose to have.
People that don’t act their age
Sometimes acting your age is critical. Obviously we don’t want our Doctor’s skipping into the office and playing jacks while we wait. What I mean by not ‘acting your age’, is to rediscover joy in the simple things that kids love and BE OKAY about it. Do you really want a fancy new cyclonic vacuum for Christmas or do you actually want the Collector’s Edition Holiday Barbie? How about that beautiful but understated black cocktail dress, lovely for sure, but will it be as fun at 4am as tulle petticoats and a bracelet made of Christmas Bells?
Singing in Public
If only life were a musical.. perhaps we’d go mad.. but perhaps, just once a year at Christmas time, we could get past that and initiate some spontaneous singing and dancing. A co-ordinated number with dancing trolleys at the supermarket, a visit to the Hairdresser that actually involves a Barbershop Quartet. Sure, it may seem mad, but if only once a year we could get past that social stigma of insanity, I’d bet we’d have a much happier day.
Time
We all wish for more time, so if it is so precious too us why do we not consider giving some of it away as a gift? Occasionally you will see this practice being utilized by children or by those seriously strapped for cash, often in the form of little I.O.U’s; but how many of us that can afford to just go and buy gifts ever consider giving away our time instead? I’m not talking about the obvious things like volunteering to feed the homeless, but about giving time to those nearest and dearest. Perhaps you have a skill that someone in your family has always wanted to learn. You may make a mean scone or even the perfect cappuccino (all creme not bubbles). instead of putting that latest blockbuster novel under their tree, offer to teach them the skill they so highly regard. Set aside an afternoon, a day, whatever it takes, and go one on one to give a gift that money can’t buy and that is – to us- so priceless.
Yes, that’s what I’d like.
Happy people that don’t give me a pain in the ear and teach me how to tango.
It’s just perfect. Dark, spiced and a...
How lovely! You know my mum kept saying what do you want for Christmas and I don’t really want anything. We have been on a very tight budget this year whilst growing our business, in fact sometimes things have been scarily skint, you know when you wander round the supermarket thinking how can I eat on this much money for a week?!
I was talking to a good friend of mine about it and she hit the nail on the head they too have had a tough financial year, and she said you know because money has been so scarce it’s really made us all evaluate what is truly important and really that we want and can do with less.
Don’t get me wrong I still love stuff, and sparkles but I know I don’t need it!
So I like you, would like less gifts for no reason and more happiness just because!!!
Happy Christmas honey!
I agree with the “No More Stuff” policy. I often give things like a pig or a sheep ^_^. Yep and you can do it too.
Check out http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au/
Your wish list is spot on. I think people forget what’s important this time of year.
)
I definately agree with the spontaneous singing – we’ve taken it up in our office! We’re all much much happier for a little bout of ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Little Drummer Boy’ at random intervals(well apart from the people who don’t join in and grumble…But then really, they need to learn not to act their age, don’t they?
Such timely words SKM
This year has been a bit of a tight one for us too – mostly with moving house and my partner isn’t working full time.
Since we’re both alone in this state with family all too far away, I think it will be a very quiet one. Just between him and me. It’s good not getting caught up in the Christmas madness.
Very good post. I totally agree about the attitude!
Yeah, I’m often stumped when someone asks me what I’d like for Christmas/my birthday. I do pretty well accumulating a whole lot of ultimately-worthless consumer stuff all on my ownsome without asking other people to supply it to me ;o)
Re: Singing in Public- you should try to catch the tram driven by the Singing Tramdriver! I’ve caught it a few times- his route is the 64 or the 5. He’s a hoot- he basically just sings the whole time he’s driving, and points out interesting things in the street, and when people get on he says ‘Welcome to the Musical tram! I am your singing tramdriver’. Makes everyone smile.
You should sign yourself up for some burlesque classes! I promised myself last year that I’d do some burlesque classes as a gift-to-self, signed up with Bottoms Up! Burlesque, and it has honestly been one of the highlights of this year for me. My Christmas party this year is going to be spent with a bunch of burlesque babes at the Thornbury Theatre – how fun!
Christmas has become a lot more special to me since having a child. I love seeing everything through his eyes.
A thought-provoking post. I don’t actually celebrate xmas, but I do agree on the issues you raise in general day-to-day life.
I’m no singer, but all of us in this family pretty much sing whenever we want to. The only time I restrain myself is when I’m listening to music on the i-phone, because no one wants to be subjected to that! Lol.
I totally agree about getting in touch with our inner child, to paraphrase your idea. People who can do this are less uptight.
As for time, well that is gold. That is something people need to give more of all year round.
Hi! Just stumbled upon your blog when I was looking through Alt Fashion sites….
I totally agree with you regarding needing less crap. We have too much material things in our lives that maybe we have forgotten the more important things. Like being nice, being grateful… Like family, friends, and being alive.
-Denise
Oh you just RULE, SKM. And what I would give for a big bottle of time … that would be the best gift ever.
Hear hear! Especially the singing in public. Since I’ve been a little girl I wanted to live in a musical. So I guess with the singing in public I would have covered the not acting my age part too
I agree with every single word you’ve written!
It’s the 3rd of December and I already feel like my Christmas spirit is being worn down by people wanting to know what I want for Christmas (if you can’t think what to buy me, then don’t) and people who somehow think it’s cool to hate all things Christmas related.
Bring back the wonder and joy to the world, that’s what I say! I love this time of year and I plan to skip around singing jingle bells and opening the doors on my Winnie the Pooh advent calender!
I found you via someone who entered your Vintage Christmas competition and had to drop in for a visit.
What a fabulous blog you have. I love vintage and have done numerous post on vintage beach things.
I agree with you about everything in your post, I love Christmas, but just not big on the whole present-giving aspect. Leaning to tango? Sounds like a perfect gift to me. Yes, giving your time to loved ones, what could be better?
I definitely agree. I hate how cynical some people get about christmas. It’s important to spend time with the ones you love and be happy. Some people like to complain too much.
While I do enjoy receiving things for christmas, because most of the year I don’t buy stuff for myself…I really enjoy giving people things.
I love singing in puplic with my sister and/or brother. xD We don’t sing for other people but when we go out we’re silly, make jokes about stuff and sometimes sing. I love to walk thru parking lots singing “here we come a-wassailing”. Classic christmas music is wonderful, I like to listen to it all year but especially around christmas.
Absolutely agreed on all points!
XO,
Syd Divine
oh god yes… all of the above please, santa!
I’ve been very nice this year…
You make some good points, but if my uncle did set fire to my cat I have to say I’d be fairly cross about it!
I completely agree with this post, but at the same time I love getting gifts from my family because they have put so much time, effort and money towards finding me the perfect gift (okay, some of the presents I don’t really like that much, but most are definitely appreciated!).
For me, the highlights of Christmas are the Christmas Eve dinner with my immediate family, church either at midnight on Christmas Eve or 9am on Christmas morning (to remind me how awesome the holiday is supposed to be) and then lunch with my extended family. There’s no point getting stressed over food or presents because that completely ignores the point of such a great day!
Oh Candice – beautiful, beautiful words! I would give anything to have my Nanna with me once more, especially at Christmas, and I would ask her to show me AGAIN how to knit. People, happy memories, skills imparted, treasured times – they are the gifts that matter. Thankyou for sharing those lovely words.
It was just wonderful to meet you ‘properly’ this weekend. I so look forward to getting to know you better in the future too. I had had such a huge day yesterday and had a cracker of a headache in the end, but I am actually kicking myself for not staying on with you and the girls last night despite it – opportunities to party with such divinly dressed vintage divas do not avail themselves every day, do they ?! Next time I will not be enslaved to my headache…..
Anyhow, we simply MUST do high tea as you sugested. Perhaps after the business of Christmas is over? I am happy to come down one day in January to catch up – a weekday, or a weekend, its all fine with me, you just let me know whatever fits into your busy lifestyle honey. I may have my poppets with me though, so maybe high tea at a park might be an option??(He he !) Anyhow, I am sure they would love the opportunity to enjoy the company of your little girls, and I yours……
Better fly, hope the girls had a dreamy weekend and got away ok today.
Love to you
Kesenya
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This is such a beautiful post. I love hearing this, especially from a style blogger. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how ridiculous consumerism really is (I own so much crap that I don’t even know what to do with) and how we should start moving away from all that excess and appreciate the little things that don’t cost a dime and don’t take a toll on our environment. I was really glad to read this.
Vanessa: Thank you for your comment. It is common that people tend to associate style bloggers with high consumerism and spending loads of cash, but for me I believe that style is an attitude, not a bank balance. Consumerism is such a vicious cycle that it can blind us to the true beauty and simplicity of things around us, in effect handicapping our efforts to discover our own style. That said, it doesn’t stop me saying “Oh and Ah” when I see something very pretty in a shop window.
Candice,
Thank you so much for this post. It’s reminded me that Christmas doesn’t have to be such a crazy, what-do-I-get-for-people, bank-balance-killing time. I’ve often thought how ridiculous it is that we all feel so harried and pressured during this time when we really should be celebrating our family and friends. My Grandma has just had cardiac surgery, and my Grandad just passed away, so I am hoping for this Christmas to simply be a time for us to remember and celebrate without the insane rush. Your post made me smile, I know exactly what you mean.
Thanks. :]
Wonderfully well put! I, too, am tired of the bad news and would love more stories that warm the cockles of my heart. Great idea about giving one’s time! I recently got to spend some time with my family who lives 1500 miles away. It’s so nice to be able to be there for them and just offer my time and help with whatever’s needed.
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year ahead is filled with all your Christmas wishes! xo