Unemployed and Uninspired

Maybe its the holiday season but getting a pink slip two weeks before Christmas can be a bit of a downer. Now you worry about money and doing all those things you're used to doing. First file for unemployment. Get that out of the way so some cash comes in while we decide what to do.

Reality? We show up for work on Monday morning, 2 of the bosses are sitting in reception. Look over and see none of the computers have monitors on them. Ut oh!

"Yeah," says boss #1, "Ut oh. We're closing up shop."

Just like that.

Everyone in the office is unemployed 2 weeks before Christmas. Merry you too.

To tell the truth I wasn't surprised. The last two months it seemed people had too much free time. When I brought this subject up others in the office weren't worried. "Look what good moods the bosses are in!" they would say. Good moods indeed. They were in that office every single day laughing and joking. This leads me to believe they did know what was coming and were probably milking the biz for all they could get. Why else would a floundering business put the powers in such a good mood. Get it while it's hot, folks!

So now what? To write or not to write? Better to use this time to finish one of the great American Novels I have under my keyboard or should I jump back into the rat race, find another boring job and kill my soul?

I vacillate back and forth trying to come up with the answer. Universe? Send me a sign!

It's the Pressure of the Season

As I was driving to work the other day the DJ was talking about not having the Christmas spirit this year and it got me thinking.
I too, lag in spirit this year and I tried to figure out why. I miss the excitement of childhood where I practically danced through December awaiting that big day. When did it disappear? Why did I lose it?

I think it's the pressure.
How many people do I have to buy for? Did I forget anyone? Will they like this? Will they like that?
Oh! Another party tonight! And tomorrow night! When am I going to find time to get anything done?
Company's coming! Clean the house!
Shopping for dinner parties, pick up some wine so you have something to bring to dinner parties, remembering which house you can't bring wine to, and wondering if it's okay to bring store bought cookies because you don't have time to bake.

I admire the people who get all their shopping done early. But how do they know what to buy? I agonize over such things! This causes procrastination and delays the inevitable shopping trips which turn one of my favorite hobbies (shopping) into a torture sessions.

Believe me, the day after Christmas is like letting out a long breath you've been holding for a month...is it over?
Oh no! Another Christmas party on the 27th!
Here we go again....
It's the pressure of the season, hope you survive!
Merry Christmas!

Those Christmas book people...

I'm always amazed and uplifted by the Christmas novels that are out this time of year. I spotted this one in the store today by the wonderful Debbie Macomber. I go to her books when Stephen King scared the bejesus out of me.

I generally see Christmas as an extremely stressful time of year where there is never enough time or money. The spirit of Christmas has turned into a can-you-top this game. One that tires and stresses us.

The Christmas after 9-11 was different. Both my children were on top of those towers 11 days before. Living across the bay from NYC with a good view of the Trade Centers (a place where half our relatives, friends and neighbors worked) we were struck very hard. We waited days to find out who survived, the stench in the air lasted for weeks and now we constantly run into people who worked the clean up. They all have breathing disorders. If you ventured back into the city you were met with National Guardsmen with guns checking out your cars. They were at the entrances to the bridges and tunnels, the police were out in force all around you. The walls of Port Authority was lined with pictures of the missing. We went to a play and after the final curtain Valerie Bertinelli came out and thanked us all for coming back to Broadway and encouraging us to take back our city.

That Christmas was different. We walked the stores searching for those perfect gifts and just felt grateful. We had our family. We came so close to losing everything that really mattered that gifts were just stuff, useless stuff. None of it mattered.

Debbie Macomber's books tell us this too. Most of her stories are about what's really important and how its the people around us who make the difference in every way that counts.

So, what's your take on the Christmas season? Love it or hate it? Or something else?