Thursday, November 19, 2009

Putting On a Happy Face


I guess I’d say that I am set in my ways. I used to be real spontaneous and I’d thrive on things and events that just popped up, but no longer. I’ve come to a point where I dread looking at my calendar because I have things scheduled that are out of the ordinary; stuff that will derail my regular days. It is stuff that may add future derailments to my life. I know that one appointment will lead to another and then to another and so on.

I have to attend a conference soon where I’ll be teaching a class. I used to look forward to this event every year, but I no longer do. I’d really rather stay home and read. I am filled with dread every time I see the date approaching.

Many of you who have been reading this blog over the years know I’m not a big fan of the holiday season. I don’t get the warm fuzzies from seeing people. My wife is the opposite. She loves a full house of family. She loves hearing the same stories over and over. I was hoping she would get her fill of this in Seattle this year, but it appears that Seattle is coming down here this year. Our house can accommodate ten people easily, but I selfishly like my alone time. The saving grace is that I do wake up three hours before everyone, I can sneak off for an hour nap and I spend six hours sleeping every night. So I do get 10 hours to myself every day, but that does leave 14 hours a day of being with people. I long ago established a three hour limit on how much time I can spend with any one person.

Yes, I am counter-social. I’m OK with that, but I will have to put on a happy face for several days. I hope my face doesn’t break.

7 Comments:

Blogger Donna. W said...

My world, and welcome to it. Although I can usually manage to get into the Christmas spirit if I work at it, since we stopped playing the gift-giving game.

4:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"It's not that I don't like people...I just seem to feel better when they're not around" Mickey Rourke in the movie Bar Flys.

Moose

5:30 AM  
Blogger JustRex said...

I'm not what you would call a "social" critter by any stretch of the imagination. And I hate having to fake that I like someone just because they are family. The older i get the more insular I become. One day I will probably be living in a cave high on a mountain somewhere. With internet access, of course.

7:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Guy,

This could have been me who wrote this. I too have to put on the face at our home this year and not looking forward to it. When you have to do it at work most of the day, you don't want to do it at home too. Holidays -- BAH HUMBUG!

9:16 AM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

Donna, we stopped gift giving as well. If we want something we just go buy it for ourselves. If there is disappointment it's on our own heads.

Moose, I bet you are the life of every party.

Darev, like you'll ever get away with that.

Anon, you should really be living alone.

9:34 PM  
Blogger Auntie said...

Ha Ha, your Outlaws are coming!

6:17 AM  
Blogger Guy said...

Laugh at me if you wish for living a weekend of the hell you live in every day.

7:07 AM  

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