Contrast and Compare

Scott’s Blog gave me an idea about the celebrity I might be like.

Traditon

The little boy-that-used-to-be On Christmas morning watched
the tree. He hid
beneath a man's disguise, But oh! the sparkle in his
eyes!

I found the above quote, by Della Adams Leitner, and I thought it captured how I perceive most of us feel on Christmas morning – still excited about what you are to receive yet restrained by our increasing maturity.

***

Ever year that I can remember before moving in with Michelle, Christmas morning took on a variation of the same events. I would be woken or wake my parents in the morning and my Mum and I would wait on the stairs for my Dad who went to the bathroom. Only when we were together did we open the door to the living room and go to the tree where our gifts awaited us. After the wrapping paper was torn and hugs and thank-yous were exchanged we would get dressed into the smart clothing for the day and my dad would make some rolls in sausage or bacon.

While my dad prepared my morning meal I would go across the back gardens to the Hamilton’s house to wish the family a happy Christmas and exchange gifts with my best friend Sparkie and his brother Andrew. The three of us would then go round to see our other best friend David to not only give him his Christmas gift but also to wish him a Happy Birthday.

With David collected, and his family given there hand shakes and kisses on the cheek, our quartet would then make its way back to my house where my breakfast (probably by this time a brunch) awaited along with the Hamilton’s who would have made thier way over to see my parents.

In later years these events would then follow a visit to our local so that David could be bought a beer and have even a little normality on his birthday.

This was our tradition, my tradition, and as the years go by its practice is less and less kept.

***

I no longer wake with my parents and therefore there is no more waiting on the stairs or rolls with sausage. I’m sure this is similar in tone if not method to what each of us left behind when leaving the house.

This year my family are dining out for Christmas Dinner (another tradition broken) and the meal is set to start at 1pm. This morning when I woke I was trying to plan what Michelle and I will do and where we will go at what time on Christmas morning before having to be at my mothers.

We have to go to Michelle’s mums to see her and Billy and his son Scott. We have to go to Deborah and Gavin’s, Michelle’s Sister and Brother-in-law, to see our Niece Cameron and Nephew Ryan. And we have to these things within two and half hours while returning home between visits and then again before visiting my Mum to collect the gifts for each group.

Understand that I know these are the things we have to do and also that I want to do them – it is important to see your family at Christmas after all, even your not quite yet in-laws. But of course time, ever the thief, has robbed me of all traces of the tradition I have known for all the life that is in my memory.

This is not the clocks first triumph over my Christmas customs. The first came when I decided I was too old to be read the Christmas poem my mum had read to me since I was a baby, I read it myself but it wasn’t the same. Next came when my sister was Married and moved away when I was 11. Every year previously she was always the first person I would wake at times too early for the whole family to rise. I would show her what had been left in my Christmas stocking and then she would doze while I sat on the floor beside her bed and read the comics which had been left for me.

Last year I didn’t even see my family at all on Christmas Day. My parents were down visiting My sister and my brother was working, but I at least got to see my friends in the usual manner.

***

Of course I am saddened that any semblance of my Christmas ritual is lost to me but when I really thought about it I realised that Michelle and I have the opportunity to begin new practises and build new traditions. There can be no plan to them, tradition is an organic practice which grows and evolves over time and is suddenly part of life without realising that it had even been conceived.

Growing up, I think, is about leaving behind those little pieces of your childhood over time and replacing them with your own actions and thoughts. To reiterate the point of Della Adams Leitner as I perceive it – childhood is not lost but merely hidden away to use as reference for the years that follow. The full quote reads: -

The little boy-that-used-to-be On Christmas morning watched the tree. He hid
beneath a man's disguise, But oh! the sparkle in his eyes! He watched his son
with great delight And how his heart leaped at the sight Of Junior opening up
his toys, And then . . . there were two little boys. One half past three, and
one . . . oh well, His age in years why need we tell: It did not matter as they
played With auto, train and gay parade. Circus and games and toy pop-gun I'm
sure I do not know which one Was happier . . . the half past three Or grown-up
lad-that-used-to-be.

"Seven chipmonks swinging on a branch on my uncles ranch..."

In the absence of valid and interesting thoughts on my life and time here’s another stupid questionnaire that asks you to do the following 7 things: -

1. Seven things to do before I die.
2. Seven things I cannot do.
3. Seven things that attract me to... (insert anything you like).
4. Seven things I say most often.
5. Seven books (or series) that I love.
6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would if I had time).
7. Seven things I couldn’t live without.
   

Seven things to do before I die:

1. Visit New York City.
2. Visit the White House.
3. Write a book or story intended for publication.
4. See a page drawn from one of my scripts.
5. Contribute to society.
6. Enjoy work (A.K.A. live the dream).
7. Learn to drive… I suppose.

Seven things I cannot do:

1. Go to bed at an appropriate hour (note the time of this post).
2. Wolf whistle.
3. Use phones with camera and the internet.
4. Touch type
5. The splits.
6. Develop code breaking mathematical algorisms (I tried…).
7. Play poker well.

Seven things that attract me to... Comic Books:

1. Consistent and fully realised characters.
2. The concept of heroism in all forms.
3. Constantly improving stories.
4. Seeing the capabilities of a person’s imagination without the constraints of budget of SFX.
5. Ever improving and more creative and/or realistic artwork.
6. Cliff-hangers.
7. My childlike escape into a, now less child friendly, fantasy world.

Seven things I say most often (impressionable ones, cover your eyes):

1. Fu*k!
2. Ah Ya Cu*t!
3. Bastard!
4. Sh!te.
5. “Pure” (apparently when used in sentences e.g. “… then he was pure going to…” “Aye and ah was pure like…”).
6. No. (or one of it’s variations).
7. At-at-at! (my cat warning word).

Seven books (or series) that I love:

1. The Jack Ryan/John Clark Series (my favourite being Without Remorse) by Tom Clancy.
2. Richard Russo Nobody’s Fool.
3. Richard Russo Straight Man.
4. The Kenzie and Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane (my favourite being Darkness Take My Hand).
5. The Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly (my favourite so far being The Last Coyote).
6. The Myron Bolitar Mysteries by Harlan Coben.
7. The Atticus Kodiak series by Greg Rucka. (my favorite so far being Finder or Critical Space.)

Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would if I had time):

1. The Godfather (Pts I &II)
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark.
3. Blade.
4. Jaws.
5. Get Shorty.
6. Out of Sight.
7. Unbreakable.

Note: this list was written, re-written and written again more times than I care to admit and this was what I had when I gave up. The actual list is waaaaaay longer than 7.

Seven things I couldn’t live without:

1. Michelle (aww).
2. Comic Books.
3. Bit Torrent.
4. My mobile (I’m ashamed to say).
5. Frijj Milkshake.
6. Starbucks.
7. Bananas.

2005 Questionare

1)Was 2005 a good year for you?
Hmmm… Judging by my memory and Blog entries I have a new nephew, new friends, a new cat and a new path in life in 2005 – so yeah, it was peachy.

2) What was your favorite moment of the year?
Booking the honeymoon was a pretty good moment as was booking the registrar but I tend to lean towards finding out that my student card gets me free cheeseburgers at McD’s…

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Well that’s not tough to figure out – getting fired and potentialy ruining all wedding plans and life as Michelle and I knew it pretty much beats not winning the lottery 97 times this year (so far).

4) Where were you when 2005 began?
My parents house.

5) Who were you with?
Michelle, my mum and my dad

6) Where will you be when 2005 ends?
Good question – I turned down two parties last year so if I get invited to one this year I’ll go to that. (the though crossed my mind to have a party myself but the flat’s too small)

7) Who will you be with when 2005 ends?
Probably Michelle, my mum and my dad when the actual bell tolls but that’ll be after leaving somewhere then probably returning to going somewhere else.

8) Did you keep your new years resolution of 2005?
Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha – you crack me up. Let’s recap my list.

1. Save for the wedding.
   RESULT: Fail – I lost my job and became a student! How’s that for crappy saving.
2. Lose weight.
   RESULT: Fail – I actully gained weight. In fact I actully went up a notch in my belt from August to November.
3. Work on scripts.
   RESULT: Fail – though still going strong in my head I think I may have typed some re-writtes or new matterial three times in the last year (if even that much).
4. Be more sociable.
   RESULT: Pass – Over this year I’ve got to know people better and made new friends for the first time in 12 years.

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2006?
Might as well try for last years failures and add a ‘study hard’ for good measure.

10) Did you fall in love in 2005?
I fell a long time ago and show no signs of getting back up.

11) If yes, with who?
Michelle.

12) If yes, do they know?
If the dimond ring and proposal didn’t get my point across then surly the fact that I tell her at least 10 times a day should do it.

13) Are you still in love with them?
Ah you know the tune - " I love you more to_day than yes_ter_day..."

14) Do regret it?
No.

15) Did you breakup with anyone in 2005?
Have you not been reading? Do I have to come over there?

16) Did you make any new friends in 2005?
First time in 12 years – which also includes people I already knew but have just got to know a little better. (I say 12 years to stress my new sociable status but in truth I made a good friend in Stuart over the previous year).

17) Who are your favorite new friends?
All of them! Sounds like a cop out for me to say that but for me to say they are my friends means that I really like them.

18) What was your favorite month of 2005?
I don’t know. What kind of question’s that? September I suppose – I started college and it was my birthday so I saw all my friends.

19) Did you travel outside of the UK in 2005?
No I haven’t been out of the uk in 6 years..

20) How many different states did you travel to in 2005?
I am always more or less in the same state. It ranges from grouchy to sombre.

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2005?
Yes. My aunt, Jean, died on late in the morning on 15th November. I did try to write Blog as a eulogy to her but I realised that I didn’t know her well enough and it just ended up being about my guilt in not doing more for her when she was sick since she lives one minute walking distance away from me (see I did it again!).

Jean was kind hearted and always jovial, she also had an amazing faith which I know would have been a comfort to her in the end as it always had been.

Sorry to end on a downer but I didn’t write the questions.