Glitter and Funny Hats Are Better Than Suicide

[The Newswire]

All that glitters may not be gold, but I love it. I am a magpie for tinsel and colored lights. I think Santa hats are all adorable.

Only I'm not a holiday person. My parents eloped and haven't been cool with a special occasion since. They would rather...

Read the full article

[soma_stardust]

every year i try to hate christmas, but i just can't.
i <3 santa hats and the smell of trees... and sparkly things. *-*
however, i do get SAD. i'm much more depressed during the winter months. oh well. this year is a super-special depression year for me, too.
but i got a santa hat at the dollar store and will be doing a christmas shoot hopefully. XD *wish i had tinsel*
does anybody sell tinsel anymore? haven't seen it in ages. best invention ever.

[nathanmbailey]

TINSEL IS EVIL! But yeah, like, Christmas is a hard time of year for a lot of people. My family was never big on it after my brother and I got a little older. It was just put up a tree (sometimes) and hand over a couple presents, eat a big meal and have to sit through annoying stories from relatives. But in the last few years I've learned it really is about who you spend it with than what you do to celebrate it. Only a couple of guys I work with are going to be home for the holidays this year, and that's because they have small children and families. But within my group of friends and even the other people I don't exactly like but still pretend to be friendly with because I have to see them everyday, I've noticed we've all spent more time joking around and finding ways to kill the time together than normal.

Usually it's just me and the other smoker on my shift that hang out when I'm not actively working. Or I'm sitting in the shop bullshitting with a couple of guys I'm starting to get to be pretty good friends with. But lately, there's been whole groups of non-smokers huddling around the smoking area during shift changes joking around. We've set up a table to sit at in our area to play cards, dominoes, whatever. This is the first time I've been deployed during the holidays, though I usually don't make the trip home when I can because it's not a big deal to my family, but I asked someone who has been before. He hadn't noticed it before, but once I said something, he said it happened with his last unit when they were deployed.

I think subconsciously, people who are lonely tend to migrate towards each other to comfort others like them and receive the same comfort during these times. Even the crabby old guy at the bar on Christmas Eve cracks a smile after awhile. But New Years is a whole different animal. You can be at a party and be totally alone on New Years. Mix that with a little doubt and a whole lot of alcohol, and it's a volatile mix.

[Morning Glory]

the first thing that came to mind was Don Hertzfeldt. Go to 1:55


(actually, watch the whole thing, it's great. But that was the part I was thinking of.)

[Bikerpunk]

Christmas underlines for some people just how alone they are.

Imagine for a second someone who's only really got the kids he doesn't get much chance to see (court ordered visitation says she gets them at that time), he works two jobs, no time for family, friends or relationship. (Not my particular situation, but still)

Dec 24 rolls around and for one magical wonderful day everyone else is hanging around a fire, giving gifts, eating well, hugging loved ones, etc. and you're sitting there. Alone. You could be an old person whose kids are going to someone else's house that year, like they've done the past four years. You could be someone whose wife upped and left acrimoniously and took the kids. Or you could have just never found the right person, and after mom and dad died, you felt awkward being invited into other families, and stayed home.

There's nothing to do except watch people be really happy and together on TV. You could go out and eat, but everywhere's booked up. You grab a bag of chips at a convenience store, and go home and surf the web. Eventually you get so bored you go to a movie theater. You're one of ten people there.

And then you go home, and watch other people's Christmas lights out the window, and feel a great emptiness and coldness totally separate from the weather. You look up and see a sturdy beam. You remember that you have some stout nylon rope in the drawer. The plan comes together easily, then.

Suicides happen more around holidays for a reason.

[Amelia G]

Christmas underlines for some people just how alone they are.

Imagine for a second someone who's only really got the kids he doesn't get much chance to see (court ordered visitation says she gets them at that time), he works two jobs, no time for family, friends or relationship. (Not my particular situation, but still)

Dec 24 rolls around and for one magical wonderful day everyone else is hanging around a fire, giving gifts, eating well, hugging loved ones, etc. and you're sitting there. Alone. You could be an old person whose kids are going to someone else's house that year, like they've done the past four years. You could be someone whose wife upped and left acrimoniously and took the kids. Or you could have just never found the right person, and after mom and dad died, you felt awkward being invited into other families, and stayed home.

There's nothing to do except watch people be really happy and together on TV. You could go out and eat, but everywhere's booked up. You grab a bag of chips at a convenience store, and go home and surf the web. Eventually you get so bored you go to a movie theater. You're one of ten people there.

And then you go home, and watch other people's Christmas lights out the window, and feel a great emptiness and coldness totally separate from the weather. You look up and see a sturdy beam. You remember that you have some stout nylon rope in the drawer. The plan comes together easily, then.

Suicides happen more around holidays for a reason.

Although intuitively and by popular misconception, one might think there are more suicides around Xmas, that faulty theory has been thoroughly debunked.

[Bikerpunk]

Huh, you learn something new every day.

[soma_stardust]

did anyone but me read the article? lol.

[One Eyed Cat]

I suppose death would make for an easy New Years Resolution. My family is similar to yours in the holidays sense. We're close but we get together more when it is convenient or someone plans a shindig. May be 12/25, May be 6/25. The holidays do nothing for me. I have had an annoying week, but the xmas background added more an element of humor.

Death Rock'n into '09! (If I don't chat with with y'all before then)

OEC

[Mr Karl]

well, christmas is a time of hope for the wretched,and then a week later when they realize that hope is for suckers and they've been suckered yet again..........................

[Buster Friendly]

Aw c'mon Bikerpunk, prove Amelia wrong!

You can do it!!!

[nathanmbailey]

Best part of Christmas is definitely the odd Christmas albums people put out. My favorite of this year, We Wish You a Metal Christmas, and a Headbanging New Year. Lemmy sings "Run Rudolph Run" with Billy Gibbons on guitar and Dave Grohl on drums. Priceless.