As I look forward to a day off from work with gluttonous plans of feasting and vegetating to Football games, it dawns on me how my sentiments towards the holidays have changed over the years. For instance, when it came to Thanksgiving, I used to be so naive and wholeheartedly believed in the fabricated historical myth of the pilgrims eating with the native Americans and all the utopian ambiance that was weaved around it. I would look forward to the retelling of that story every year as I feasted on turkey, rice, corn and whatever else could fit on my plate. I was also oblivious to Black Friday until adulthood so you can see how my naïveté was preserved for so long. I truly lived the innocence of youth back then, my mom’s beatings aside.
My earnestness and strength of will was so strong in wanting the magic of the holidays to be true that I didn’t stop believing in Santa Claus until the sixth grade. That’s how sheltered I was from the harsh reality of life despite the fact that I spent most of my afternoons on the streets of Manhattan since I was six years old. I guess the strength of my ignorance was magical in a way. But eventually my inquisitive nature won out and all the hoopla and the hype started to fade away. I began to piece together historical truths and realized the sham that tale of the liberal pilgrims really was. One door led to another and I became more jaded and cynical about the holidays. That plus the stress planning for such festivities causes taught me it’s just better to avoid them altogether.
Nowadays, I look upon holidays with gratitude for giving me a paid day off from work so I can just rest and enjoy myself with frivolity. I avoid all family gatherings if I can help it because I really don’t want unnecessary drama on my day off. And with so little time devoted for my own personal satisfaction why would I waste it on decorating only to waste more time cleaning it all up?
I know for some people this may seem like a bleak and sad view on the holidays but believe me, I couldn’t be happier. Go on and stress yourselves out trying to create a picture perfect celebration that would make Spielberg salivate and want to film. I’ll stay home resting and enjoying myself in a leisurely fashion. I couldn’t ask for a better gift than just being blissfully left alone.
JULIO FROM NY 