I do have to say that I am a very unusual person. I would say I’m probably a little like an extroverted Sheldon. I don’t really understand things that don’t have a practical purpose.
Take Christmas for example: I get Christmas, kind of. Of course I get the religious aspect of celebrating Christ’s birth on an arbitrary day chosen around a pagan holiday already celebrated. I get the good will towards people, be around people you love, stuff. I think it’s important all year round but it’s nice that it’s focused during a time when people aren’t getting as much sun and depression is rampant. I should look into if this actually has something to do with the need to feel better during a time of cold and shortened days….
The thing that gets me is the consumerism. We get the kids and each other gifts but I don’t understand getting tons of stuff. I like to get the kids 2-4 practical gifts that they can use right away. Something they can enjoy for a while but nothing excessive we wouldn’t have been bought at some other time during the year.
Which brings me to this: When family asks us what we want for Christmas I have a very hard time thinking of anything. We have no room for anything more in this house and we don’t need anything, except stuff for the new house. I tell people completely practical stuff to get because I don’t understand the need for anything else. As a joke I told my dad we needed a septic tank for the new house (because I am really only asking for memberships to places and stuff to build the house). His response was “only if I can tell my friends I bought my daughter a box of poop.” And that “they hold no responsibility or liability for the usage or contents thereof” to which my response was “not unless you take us to dinner first”. It looks like we have a septic tank coming. I couldn’t be happier.
