Merry Christmas - My American Life

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/47/christmas-and-commerce

Having just spent Christmas with my family, I'm really starting to see the concept that Christmas brings people out of who they are and really shows people for who they are. I agree with the concept that it's the same setting, the same props, the same amount of time, and the same expectations to everyone in the world that celebrates it, but depending on the people involved in the holiday they're what change everything. Christmas is a time to see just who people are for who they are, and looking at my family over the holiday, it's a world of hurt to look and see what people are for how they acted on the holiday around the family. Here's a good look at who people were with how they acted.

My dad -

We'd return back from whatever we were doing, and then he would head off to the sofa, and 'fall asleep'. He'd close his eyes, and that's about it. He was officially 'asleep' and didn't want to deal with everyone else. I kid you not. There would be times that all of the family would be busy playing and talking together, with a noise of a train going on around him, and he would try to fake sleep his way through the event so that he didn't have to do anything. The part about this that would kill me is that we'd be doing something totally like that situation, where we'd be all working on one thing or split up doing different things, and he'd be 'asleep' when my mom would just turn around and ask him a question and break the illusion of sleeping, and then he'd just go 'back to sleep' after he was done answering her question. He was there. . . but only physically. Any real conversation or interaction with him was missing, and any time that he did have down time he was 'sleeping'.

Take from that what you will.

My mom -

Can't quite find a picture for this one, but the entire Christmas she had to do everything and try to make it the best ever, and no one was on board with it. She'd think that she had to help do everything, and make everything as perfect as possible, but then in the long run it would never work out as well as she wanted, and ultimately it was the flops and the backup plans that were more memorable than the hyper planned, hyper assisted moments from her. She really did try to make the perfect life for everyone, but we were all more entertained and can remember things better that were unplanned and had none of her finger prints on them. She'd spend lots of money for the perfect moment that would flop and then we'd all remember the free time that cost nothing over that.

Katie -

Lost is the word of choice with her. Even with GPS, even with following people, even with the schedule and plan that was hanging on the wall, she always seemed just a few steps behind what was supposed to be happening and was just lost. She was the one that seemed like she knew what was going on, and then was one straw away from going insane and going bonkers. She was walking on that borderline between happy and crazy and angry all at the same time, and managed to do it with four kids running around her. She was also the one that made plans to go around certain things just to save a few bucks because she didn't want to spend money.

Gwen -
Throughout the entire thing, she was the one that always seemed to be on top of things and always doing the right thing at the right time. She was the perfect first daughter. She was able to manage her kids without any problems, she never stepped on any toes, everything went well for her even when things were going wrong. She seemingly never got frazzled, never had to go to plan B, and was the star of the room at all times. When everything else was going down hill, you knew that you could just follow Gwen around and watch as she dodged all of the pot holes and traps that there could possibly be, and she'd do it all while curled up on a couch partially reading a hyper educated book that was above everyone's head.

I can only wonder what the holiday says about me in the way I made it through the season. Luckily I can't see the forest through the trees, so I'm just going to let that mystery stay where it is, and know that they most likely saw who I was through my actions over the break.