That Time of Year Again

Every year around Christmas, I do a rant. Not really a tradition I want to keep, or even something I do intentionally, but I can't help it -- just the way the time of year goes. Generally, it's tied to the season, and I bitch about something that's going on or things people do -- usually bad or stupid crap that just pops up. I always paint the season in a negative light. For all the cheer and happiness we're supposed to espouse during the festive season, there is a lot of negativity to be had. Tempers flare, patience is in short supply, and the so-called Grinch in all of us is happily flaunting its stuff. And while I will be jostled and screwed around by the machine that is the world and all it entails this season much like any other, I'm actually making strides to not let it get me down.

The military managed to find a way to screw me out of a week of leave. It was either one week of leave or a year of severance pay. I chose to keep the money and drop the days off. A friend of mine might have cancer, he's going to be checked out, but I chose to believe he's fine and it'll all be nothing. I haven't heard ANY Christmas songs this year. That's a blessing in and of itself, and has made me happier. I also received my income tax cheque from the government today. I was surprised, expecting only two get a couple hundred dollars. Well, they gave me over a thousand. I was surprised that this happened, and count it too as another blessing. Things are looking up.

But even for all the good that's been coming my way, there are the downers. I won't be able to spend as much time as I might like to with my family this year. I need to find a job and do some house hunting over the holidays because in the new year, with my time in the military expiring, I'll need to have some place else to go and a job to support myself with. It does make things hectic. But, all in all, it isn't the worst. I've managed to get around the line-ups and avoid the places where my patience might be put to an extreme test. It has made for a much simpler holiday season. I'm hoping it'll continue like this.

Here's hoping.

Happy Christmas and Merry New Years.