It’s been a week or so, but the lovable Daft Old Duffer is back sharing his thoughts and views. Ed
Once again I ignored Christmas. And Christmas, thank goodness, ignored me.
Many of you may think this is a case of sour grapes. But I assure you it is not. Furthermore, it is, I believe a view shared by many of us old ‘uns whom time has made largely redundant – even if we don’t like to face the fact so bluntly.
In my case I was forced to take stock of my life some years ago … I was retired – against my wishes – my wife had departed for pastures new and less sofa-shaped, and my offspring had obviously far more important things on their mind than me.
So I had a choice. Either spend my remaining years in a doleful mope over what had been and should be, or make a fresh start, a new life.
I chose the latter and have never had cause to regret it. I have, for the first time in many a long year, passed my time quite selfishly doing what I wanted to do instead of what everyone else expected me to do – with no trace of a conscience twinge whatsoever.
I have taken up new hobbies and dropped just as swiftly those that did not suit, without the wife-induced guilt feeling that the money and time ‘wasted’ should have gone to new curtains or redecorating the bedroom instead. And I have travelled to parts of the world I otherwise never would have seen – something I have by no means finished doing as yet.
The only flies in the ointment are anniversaries. Birthdays are easy enough. With increasing age, the reminders of approaching death drop off in quite a satisfactory manner anyway. And anniversaries are things I never could bear in mind despite the most earnest of resolutions.
That leaves Christmas. Which proves to be the easiest of all. I have always believed Christmas was the preserve of mums and dads with kids, and once that arrangement has broken up the whole thing becomes a matter of indigestion, a smattering of religion and relatives you don’t want to see, but must.
So each year I draw my curtains, lock the door and forget all about it. I stay indoors reading, watching the telly and generally pottering just like I do on any of the other days I decide not to go out. And when I draw back the curtains next morning, it’s all over for another twelve months.
It’s a mind-set not always easy to adopt. Occasionally memories will bob up. But it works for 99% of the time. And as we all live longer and longer, I think more and more of us are going to have to try it.
Image: g-hat
