I’ve decided I want to live in Magazine World.
It’s a parallel universe where, apparently, everyone takes the whole summer off to vacation at the cottage, can afford expensive items for their homes – vacation or otherwise – such as a $200 IPOD Toilet Tissue holder, buy designer clothing, and host fabulous – and catered – parties.
But no time of year is more glorious and storybook-like in Magazine World than Christmas. In Magazine World, everyone has a wonderful family and spends the month of December merrily going from fabulous party to fabulous party and has the halls decked to look like the cover of a magazine. The only problems in Magazine World’s Christmas are how to manage your hangover and keep off those holiday pounds.
Reality Check
20% of North Americans do not take vacations or do not use all their vacation time. In part because we (Canadian and Americans) receive the fewest paid vacation days per year in the world at approximately 10 days, respectively and also in part because of fears of job security. By contrast, the Danes receive 31 vacation days per year. [Denmark is a very enlightened country!] [vacation statistics from www.vault.com]
Of the North Americans that do take their vacation days, some spend their vacation days in such restful pursuits as visiting family members or completing the ‘honey-do’ list. Others spend the “vacation” “working from home” – and in this case, a change is not as good as a rest.
Oh and that cottage Magazine World talks about? A mere 9% of Canadians own cottages according to one source.
While it’s a myth that suicide rates increase at Christmas (in fact, stastically suicide rates decrease in December), Christmas can be and is a very stressful time for a great deal of people. Loneliness, depression, financial strain, family conflict and alcohol abuse can all intensify at Christmastime.
To make it through December relatively unscathed, the Centre for Suicide Prevention in Calgary, Alberta has these tips:
- Plan to take time to identify your feelings about Christmas.
- Be realistic; look at what you can afford to give (for tips, see: http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/index.html
- Choose to celebrate with people who make you feel positive and hopeful (for many of us that would exclude rather than include, family members and in-laws).
- Let go of your expectations and make time for what is important to you.
I’d also add a suggestion to try and maintain your normal exercise routine as much as possible to reduce stress and stave off extra holiday pounds.
Or, you could move into Magazine World….
If my client load is any indication, Christmas day will generally be celebrated this and every year in nearly every home with mass family drunkenness, vicious emotional abuse and constant strategies by their families to further perpetrate the abuse of the parent’s childhood on the new generation of children…
I keep telling and retelling myself it’s a skewed sample set…
Cal, as our family doctor put it one year after his return from celebrating Christmas w/ his relatives “All families are dysfunctional.”
Hi Kathy,
Must say, loved the article.
It is a curious thing…we seem to work so hard for so many years at creating Magazine World Christmas and yet reality lurks like a bad headache. And when Magazine World and reality mix, it does not make for a great party, as we try so hard to just get along for at least one day a year.
Think I’ll drink to that, or maybe take the drug suggested in your October article!
Postscript to my article:
An acquaintance of ours sent me her annual Christmas letter today, reprinted below, ..I think she is living in Magazine World, or smoking really good drugs:
“Have you noticed the kindness which prevails during the Christmas season? Seems like with each snowfall we relax a bit more. We’re more considerate of those around us, we’re friendlier, more compassionate. As Christmas draws nigh we seem to become more patient. We see strangers talking to each other and smiling while they wait in check-out lines. We laugh more, we’re more polite and respectful when speaking with others. For some reason we become more humane. Despite tired old carols playing endlessly everywhere we go, despite busy malls and traffic, lists and shopping, icy streets and cold temperatures, kindnesses to each other are evident everywhere we look.Do you like it? I do. How long into the new year could we prolong this Spirit of Christmas?Shall we give it a try?Just for fun?
Wishing you the very best Christmas,a wonderful New Year,happiness and prosperity in 2009.”