Time of Joy?

December 26, 2008/12:05 a.m.

And so another Christmas is finished. No more emails on special offers. No more Christmas songs perpetually playing on the radio. And no more re-runs of A Christmas Story.

I could rant on how commercialized Christmas has become. Of course, this is no new news at all. We'll save that for another day. This issue at hand is how this years Christmas sucked.

Christmas was never quite the same since I discovered the horrific truth of the false existence of Santa Claus. I can't remember exactly how old I was, maybe 9 or so. I figured it all out when a Christmas present my Mom bought in Sears was wrapped and labeled as a gift from "Santa". Since then, Christmas wasn't hyped up and I slept in late.

This year was just down right depressing, for me that is. While my fellow teenagers we're squawking about these new ipods and cellular phones and digital cameras, I was secretly wishing for the holidays to be over and done with as I tried to hold up a false smile pretending to be excited over a new gadget that I wasn't getting. This year, I decided not to ask for anything. I even shocked myself. I love opening presents. It's a thrill! But, with all the expenses I've cost my parents this year, why should I ask for anything?

The days leading up to Christmas were pretty dreadful. I didn't really help with decorating the tree. This ritual is usually the source of my Christmas spirit, but this year I just couldn't care enough to bother. Instead I tagged in my Grandma. My Mom's insistent nagging over a wishlist was almost too much to bare. To keep her satisfied for a short period of time, I wrote a joke wishlist of items that are mostly unattainable. Items included: The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, The Liberty Bell, The Black Pearl, a Komodo Dragon, and Olive Garden bread sticks. I'm aware that some of these items can in fact be purchased off Amazon.

I pleasantly surprised this morning with no interruptions of my slumber to drag me downstairs in front of a mountain of presents. Instead I was slipped a card under my door that read, "Have a problem? I'm all ears." A picture of rabbit ears accompanied it. While I thought it was cute, I couldn't bring myself to talk to anyone about my dread. I think I could rival a professional emo kid. Some hours later, I got some cards from my parents, Grandma, and other grandparents. My Grandma gave me a check for $25, my grandparents $150, and my parents...$200. Now any normal teenager would be jumping with joy at receiving such generosities, but I grimaced a little. I didn't deserve this money! I didn't ask for anything anyway! Why won't anyone listen to my demands? All this year I kept hearing, "We can't afford this right now" or "It's too expensive." My parents nailed the idea that we're poor into my brain. Now all of a sudden they wanted to get me a Wii, which I firmly turned down, and gave me $200! Their logic just kills me! They should keep the money and use it on something useful that will last. I'd just spend it on anime or clothes that I probably won't even wear next year. Mom should just buy that fucking comforter she needs instead of using a twin comforter on a queen sized bed! Well, unsurprisingly, I slipped all the money onto their dresser.

Later, I had to get ready to go to my cousins to celebrate. Woo-hoo. Besides the fact that I'm sick with a cold, I was not in a Christmas-y mood. Therefore, I refused to go and after some yelling at my Mom, she gave in and I stayed home alone. It wasn't so bad. I was bored, sure, but I watched the A Christmas Story marathon on TBS. I think by the end of it I watched it at least 10 times. It never gets old, it's one of those movies you can't take your eyes away from. Ralphie is boss.

And so, that is how my time of supposed merriment went. Thrilling, indeed /sarcasm. I don't exactly know why I destroyed my own Christmas. It's just with all this financial talk poured on me, it was kind of expected. Hopefully next year will be less depressing and there will be more A Christmas Story.