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Sunday, December 28, 2008

Dither, dither, dither and why



A Holiday table and some winter views.

What is it about these days between Christmas and New Year's? Is it because it is still the holiday season, yet no longer Christmas? Whatever, many people (myself included) find it difficult to re-focus, re-initiate, re-discipline, or just plain start working.

Especially in the United States, part of the problem may be how the Christmas "season" has gobbled up all the other holidays. There's no distinction between Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years. Gone are the days when New Year's was a different and unique holiday all its own, with its own traditions.

So we're left with, "Is it over with? Sorta? Maybe? Kinda?" Plus, a real sense of dissociation with regular life that I find most distracting.

Do you struggle with the same sense in these days between Christmas and New Years? Not time to put away the decorations, but time to get back to work? Not time to put away the party outfits, but focus on regular habits? If you don't struggle, great! If you do, what do you that helps?

8 comments:

Dave King said...

I was brought up with the idea that there were twelve days to Christmas, It ended on Jan6. That's when the dic's came down. Of course, everyone went back to work before that, so I was quite puzzled by it all.

Conda Douglas said...

I wondered what the season might be for those without Thanksgiving to start it off(people didn't put up decorations, even in the stores, until the weekend AFTER). And January 6th, Epiphany, everything was usually gone, down, done.

Now there's Christmas sales and decorations up until the end of January, sometimes.

Ugh.

Anonymous said...

So true. Also, there's all this hype about enjoying the season, wrenching every little bit of joy and festivity out of it, so that I'm always convinced that I'm missing something.

Swubird said...

Conda:

Yes, I struggle to get back in the saddle and write. I don't what it is about Christmas and the New Year, but it seems to leave me empty, and out of enthusiasm.

Here's to a productive new year.

Happy trials.

Conda Douglas said...

Yes, Caryn, you're so right. And in the midst of that "something missing" feeling, I also sometimes feel exhausted. There can be too much of a good thing.

Conda Douglas said...

Hear, hear, Swu--a productive new year is just the thing!

Kathy McIntosh said...

I struggle, too, berating myself for all I have not done in 2008 (like post to my own and other blogs), wondering how I can improve that in the next year.
Some of my malaise is due to all the sugar I consumed over the holidays.
Some, I fear, is due to that arbitrary ending/beginning. And my passing judgment on myself.
I loved your photos, Conda.

Conda Douglas said...

Yes, Kathy, it does help to remember that it is indeed arbitrary. And I too get the sugar slumps, good thing to remember instead of blaming my lack of whatever.