 Welcome to the very first installment in what I hope what will be a regularly-running blog going forward, What Else Is New?, where I'll basically discuss anything on my mind that isn't wrestling-related. Mind you, there are already a few categories of the site dealing with non-wrestling-related items (Injection of Inspiration and Director's Cut), but I haven't had the drive to update either of them in so long that I figured I would simply start anew and not limit myself to inspirational advice or movie reviews. After all, Injection of Inspiration is now a weekly fixture on my YouTube channel every Saturday, and I'm hoping my movie reviews will follow suit over there as well. As for this blog, I thought there was no better topic to discuss in my premiere post than Christmas considering we are roughly two weeks out from the anticipated holiday as of this writing. Although I wrote the word "anticipated" to describe Christmas, that isn't to say everyone is looking forward to it. In fact, I will go so far as to call it the most polarizing time of year, because I find most people either love Christmas, or hate it with a burning passion (or just don't celebrate it). Anyone who knows me well know enough will tell you that I am a Christmas "mark" through and through, and I can't remember a time when I didn't enjoy the season as much as I do. Christmas itself usually goes off without a hitch in my household, but the days preceding the holiday are every bit as important as the day itself in my opinion. "Getting into the Christmas spirit" might be the right phrase to use here. Needless to say, December is my favorite month of the year, but that doesn't always mean I'm completely in the Christmas spirit ahead of Christmas day. Last year was one of those years, strangely, and I couldn't put my finger on exactly why that was.
When I was a kid, of course, I was mostly excited for Christmas to get gifts. I'll still get gifts on Christmas even as an adult in my early 20s, but it's much less about that and more about what the holiday season means. I know oh so many people who despise holidays for that exact reason, and in some instances, it's hard to blame them. For example, being with family during Christmastime is usually a given, but sometimes the family members we enjoyed spending the season with the most aren't here anymore. That will make certain people sad, and that's understandable, but why not celebrate for those who are no longer here? Isn't that what they would've wanted? For me, my Christmas countdown begins on December 1st. I am a firm believer in not putting up any Christmas decorations or listening to seasonal music until after Thanksgiving. Once that deadline is up, it's all guns blazing. I find myself to be more in the Christmas spirit this year than any other year in recent memory, largely thanks to my goal of watching at least one Christmas movie a day and jamming out the classic Christmas tunes. The general joy in the air is what makes me happy, but not everyone will necessarily feel that way, so don't shove the Christmas love down the throats of any "Scrooges" you might know because it will only anger them even more. Perhaps what put me in the Christmas mood more than anything else this month (so far) was the snowfall we received in the northeastern region of the United States over this past weekend. I was actually able to look out the window for most of my work shift on Saturday and see the snowflakes fall to the ground, an absolutely stunning sight. Yes, it makes driving all the more difficult and frustrating, but you can't help but admire its beauty. Seeing snow always brings me back to when it snowed on Christmas Eve night back in 2012, or walking through a literal winter wonderland in 2013 right before the holiday, and so on. This year, it will be linked to how I attended a wedding for a cousin of mine and had a blast surrounded my family while it snowed outside. I just really, really love Christmas. It's interesting that I'm one of few people I know that are in the same boat as me. There are those who starting signing Christmas tunes immediately following Halloween (you people are the scum of the earth), and then there are those who want nothing to do with the holiday at all. Perhaps one day I will come across more oddballs like me who enjoy the Christmas season all December long before moving on to the next thing. This holiday season has been nothing short of busy and exciting and I'm pretty pumped for what else it will have in store. |
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