Somebody said to me over the Christmas break, that Christmas and New Year are a bit of a let down when you’ve grown past the age where you genuinely get excited. And all this ‘New Year’s Resolution stuff is crap they told me, because people will only really change when they want to.
Well, it’s true that this year I wasn’t really bothered about Christmas as a whole, the presents, the decoration, the tinsel and bells. I never saw any mistletoe, but that’s a different story.
This year, I was more interested about what the break would bring me. Quality time to spend with friends I’ve not managed to give much time to this year. Good conversation with family, who during the rest of the year I either end up (through nobody’s particular fault) in a different room from, or (horrendously) viewing as a distraction to another more important thing I’m engaged with – when in reality none exists.
I also know from personal experience, that the singular decision to make your life different, is a greater shift than any half-baked New Year’s Resolution you happen to come up with. That much of what the unnamed said is true. But, I’m not sure that the festive season is completely without its seasonal merits, and I’ve kind of the feeling that the two aspects of that little time off – celebration (whether genuine or otherwise) and the simultaneous feelings of freedom and community membership – deliver what we tend to forget as soon as we step back into our normal routines.
It’s not that any of it is shallow or fake, proved because we return to our old habits just as soon as we set our alarms. It’s that we think that the break’s liberties and enjoyments are the break’s alone.
We shouldn’t. During my little break, I pinpointed a few of my own failings in my ‘normal’ day to day life, each of which is a direct consequence of my general ignorance towards some of the things that make me happy around Christmas and New Year. Something so simple as: ‘if I have an early night, I won’t be tired in the morning, I won’t have to rush for my train, and so in turn I won’t be in a down mood before my day’s even really begun. Simple common sense, but otherwise ignored except when allowed to lounge in bed until my body-clock seems fit to wake me up after, say nine hours sleep, not six or seven day after week after month.
It’s simple, really. You look at why you were happier over the holiday, and do what you can to adjust to accommodate more of those things.
It’s simple, I say, and yet I’ve only just thought of it.
Hope you’re well, things this end are going nicely.
Kev
H’okay
So…later in the day didn’t happen. Sorry, very sorry, but this time of year is pretty frantic in the world of It jounalism you know. More issues, less weeks, pretty solid excuses.
Anywho, I happen to work in the vicinity of the BT Tower and so on my walk to work I occasionally see (or should that be on my occasional walk to work I see?) this brick wall, pebbledashed and hidden behind some very sharply defended gates. Not too sharp for London’s intrepid Banksy however, who one evening or morning, who knows, provided the world with another piece of his stenciled genius. Not that I think it’s genius, I’m not even a massive fan, I just happened to like the fore and backgrounds involved in this particular photo. Because, you see what he’s done don’t you? ‘One nation under CCTV, is a change to the phrase ‘One Nation Under God’ (which is American in origin, so I don’t much see the relevance, but anyway). He’s clearly saying that CCTV is our God and that we’re being watched evermore until our very freedom is at stake, and that BT is a huge corporation corroborating with the government in the expansion of the CCTV deity and the ever shrinking of our personal freedom.
Or not. Like I say, I don’t much care for Banksy, nor for this piece of his work, rather I like the photo as a whole, If that makes sense.
Reviewy Bits
I’ve been a little busy of late as well, and that’s the main reason behind my lack of updating here. I’ve had a couple of film reviews published on Den of Geek for both Lakeview Terrace (Samuel L. Jackson’s new film) and Inkheart (Brendan Fraser’s), so if you want to check those out…well please do :)
Finally, I’ve written the first chapter of brand spanking new novel. Oh yes. In one week. The next one is due this week, the next one the week after, the one after that, the weeke after that and so on for 27 of the buggers. One week in, and I’m feeling optimistic. But it is only one week in. Wish me luck, and more snippits on the work as it happens.
Ta ra for now though, take it easy :)
Kevin