But the very next day you gave it away
How should I feel about Christmas? And what about family?
In theory, I’m not one for Christmas but Christmas songs have a special place in my heart. One of my favorites, Last Christmas by Wham!, has always taken me on a journey. George Michael sings, But the very next day you gave it away. He’s talking about his heart. A heart that he decided to give to someone who disposed of it only a few hours later like a dirty old napkin. This fatal scenario seems to be happening to this poor man year after year. I don’t know if he’s talking about an eternal loop he’s stuck in or maybe, every year, he gives it to someone new and that person refuses to hold an overused heart that has been passing from hand to hand, year after year. That heart, I’m sure, isn’t beating at all. Still, there’s hope: This year, to save me from tears, I’ll give it to someone special.
When December rolls around, we all seem to carry a special light within us. Maybe it’s the belief that this year will be different. Maybe it’s the food. Maybe it’s the booze. We hang signs and images of a fat old man with a white beard saying, HO HO HO! There are people who travel long distances to see the people they love. And there are also people who spend a shit load of money to share lunches and dinners with people they can’t even stand. I belong to the latter group. I can’t stand my family. Not the one I chose and created. But the one I was born into. So, every year, I ask myself the same question: Why do I have to put up with all of this?