It's that time of year again when Americans are force fed notions of familial warmth and delusions that all us well in a world that goes on in the same myopic self-delusions it always prefers to reality.
For one, "charity" gameshows dtill pay the celebs and make money on the ads. Does anyone honestly think the charities net the bulk of the money moving around those shows?
But my point is deeper than the obvious scams. In any year there are roughly 700,000 kids neglected and abused. That gets worse around holidays.
It's really hard to buy into the good cheer when that means being threatened that you'd better pretend to be the family in the commercials and are wicked because you feel ill having to hug the person who made you eat your own vomit and then ignored you for the rest of the weekend.
This is my recollection. I remember being shaken and threatened in a bsthroom if I didn't put on a smile and enjoy my mom's special day...and there was no one else sround to pretend for...it was just my oarents and brother!
So no, I don't recall all the joyous warm cocoa sing-along nostalgia.
The thing is, I really don't hate you for it. If that's truly your feeling and you aren't faking it worse than I did, then by all means go enjoy it. Just don't force me to or lcall me the downer because I don't want to play.
In fact, I'm actually so concerned about you keeping your happy, I probably won't even mention the vomit when you talk about your favorite memories. But I'm remembering it...over and over and over every time you bring it up from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
So yeah, what was that about spreading good will? Pardon me if it seems more like one of those celebrity gameshows than real concern. Because after 12/25, you'll continue to be the same self-centered oblivious ass you fake yourself into believing you aren't once a year.
But I don't want to leave this hopeless because I'm not the only one who has these memories. If you're one of the 699,000 others, we have to get by, right? I see you and our therapists tell us we can't change the culture, right?
So where do we go with it? For me, I'm going to intentionally share that comfort. You DON'T have to do it. You DON''T have to play. It's ok. You are not alone.
