Category: New Zealand

  • So.  Other than the TV ads, its not so “in your face commercialism Christmas” here…

    So. Other than the TV ads, its not so “in your face commercialism Christmas” here…

    the fact of the matter is – the commercialization seems to be a real “American thing” – so, closer proximity – yep, Canadians do it “big” too – and as I was there through the season – the creeping in of the holidays began before Thanksgiving, shortly after Halloween… bit by bit.

    Don’t get me wrong – there is still some of that here.  But more, there is some dignity and subtleness that somehow Americans have left behind – exception being television commercials… those are still very shouty and loud – you know that style of urgent and the “buy it now or else” kind of advertising… hurry hurry hurry… spend it now and buy this junk here, right here, right now!  Mind if I don’t?

    But my wearing a shirt with a jolly Christmas message on it was quite a novelty.  As I have been told, you can’t find that sort of thing here… probably true.  So, the test – Christmas is a day that we celebrate the birth of Christ – ok – let’s see how this plays out…  I think that it will likely be peaceful and that we will not see the insanity of midnight Christmas Eve desperation thrown at the parking lots around here…

    More likely what it should be…

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  • Christmas.  This commercialism really gets old, the older you get…

    Christmas. This commercialism really gets old, the older you get…

    So.  Went to a Christmas Concert last night at a local Calgary University called Ambrose University.  It is a Christian school.  It had an excellent choir and a fair orchestra and the program was all in all pretty good – but it still didn’t get me there.

    It has been an odd year, frankly.  Being away from home the past five months has been pretty life changing.  Having the switch back to the solo living existence intermittently, living without a car, the extreme cold weather here with all of its perils (slippery ice and freeze your face off cold)… and working out solutions to every day existence… Yeah, interesting.  Not sure I am up for doing this again, though.  Not being this far away.  I miss my husband and my dog.  You know you miss home when you feel pretty anxious about running out of coffee creamer.  Silly stuff like that.  Extreme worry about insignificant shit.

    Guess it has taught me a few things… What about my life is precious – that I really do not want to waste my time left here on this planet, and that I have something poking at me that tells me that I need to contribute to the good of the place, and to its people, as best as I can… regardless…  It’s one of those “greater good” things…

    Anyhow, it’s Christmas season and I will contemplate this as it is meaningful to me in so many ways…

    Mimi - Her Last Christmas
    Mimi – Her Last Christmas

     

    Rob with brother Will - Rob's last Christmas...
    Rob with brother Will – Rob’s last Christmas…

    And as I reflect, the family has bonds that tie to the season – I missed my son Rob’s last Christmas – sadly… But, you can’t always have it 100% and I will just remember the one where we were together… in 2003 – where he was himself and the quintessential “Rob”.

    I will hold the penguins off as long as I can.
    I will hold the penguins off as long as I can.

    Holding out for a blessed holiday… to be different this year – in New Zealand…

    In the meantime we pray for a good outcome for our friends Chase and Tom McGowen – son and father, recipient and donor of another transplant to hopefully extend Chase’s opportunity for some more years… Gosh they have been through it…

    Hope abounds in this Christmas Season of the birth of hope…