Christmas sucks too. Fake forced happyness, like it's some crime not to be, annoying jingles all the darn time, forced to spend time with family. Yay, what a fun...
NOT.
Here's a fun fact for you: X-Mas is pretty much the day with the most suicides each year. Happy holiday, eh?
Great attitude and great way to try and bring it on to other people who don't have it. Overall a great thing to say!
We're all alone sometimes, for short amounts of times. I think Fawful referred to longer periods of time, like no contact with any living thing for days on hands or something.
Because being alone for a few hours happens to everyone every day, doesn't it? Well, not necessarily when you're living with someone else, I guess, but still, it's nothing too unusual.
I plan to stay up late on the 13th, and then sleep through as much of Valentine's Day as possible. The same plan as every year, actually. Everyone else has pretty much covered my feelings on Valentine's Day.
Or... I could use the time to catch up on a few Telltale Games that I have yet to find time to play.
It should be a celebration of love, the mere fact that it exists in this world is enough. Whether you currently have it or you don't, it is there to be celebrated and made light of. This is the one day you can not take it for granted- you love your pet, your car, your favorite band, video games, anything. Is that not something to celebrate?
Huh. There's something for my brain to chew on tonight. I never even considered that perspective. Hell, looking at it like that really makes many of my issues with the holiday seem selfish.
Christmas sucks too. Fake forced happyness, like it's some crime not to be, annoying jingles all the darn time, forced to spend time with family. Yay, what a fun...
NOT.
Here's a fun fact for you: X-Mas is pretty much the day with the most suicides each year. Happy holiday, eh?
Snopes doesn't agree with your fun fact. They could be wrong, and I haven't looked as far into it as I'd like to. Still, at a glance, I'll trust them over the widely-spread rumor, at least on a probationary basis.
Also, I have liked the past few Valentines Days with a girlfriend a great deal more than those that I spent without one.
I am nearly 10.000 km from home, and the next few days are going to be incredibly busy workdays, so I doubt I'm even going to notice Valentine's day this year.
Sounds fun. I was about to ask how you did it, if you ran out of food or it went bad or something. But if it's planned then it's not an issue.
I don't think I would like that very much. I love being online and talking on the Internet. I come here every day. Now, it's true that I have spent months without going out at all - over six months at one point - but it was too cold and it was bad for my asthma, and when I tried I ended up in the hospital, so... It wasn't really voluntary.
And of course I still saw my husband nearly every day.
But the Internet... Forums, chatrooms, emails... They're my main means of communication with people, and I'd hate to be without. I'd have to learn to use a phone again >.>.
Anyway, going back to Valentine's Day. The way I see it, countries that already have Thanksgiving don't really need it, because it's basically the same thing. Telling people you're thankful to have them or that you love them is really pretty much the same thing to me.
But I'm not a very "Special Occasion" oriented type of person. If I find something I think a friend of mine will like and it's two days before their birthday, I'm not going to wait for two days before I give it to them, it seems silly. I'll just give it next time I see them.
Now for the important thing: why didn't anyone warn me there was such a thing as Valentine cupcakes? I want some!
As a response to everyone: guys, you are gamers. If you feel depressed, frustrated, or angry, simply go over to some planet, murder everyone there and then give the big boss a good ol' missile to the face. If murder doesn't cure it, nothing will.
Great attitude and great way to try and bring it on to other people who don't have it. Overall a great thing to say!
Well, sorry not to share your overly optimistic views on X-mas. But such replies you can expect when saying "Christmas is still a very happy time". Yeah, I can't really relate.
That's like trying to convince all people here V-Day is awesome, even if the general consus seems one of hatred, staying indoors and sleeping it out.
Snopes doesn't agree with your fun fact. They could be wrong, and I haven't looked as far into it as I'd like to. Still, at a glance, I'll trust them over the widely-spread rumor, at least on a probationary basis.
Hmmm... interesting. Fair enough, I was just going off the basis that it has been a "fact" for many many years.
I'll be doing the same thing I do every year, which is be totally apathetic towards it. I really don't care one way or the other. I'm asexual; maybe that has something to do with it.
@ seher There are actually groups that are working to "take back" mother's day to its original purpose, holding candle light vigils and protests and that kind of thing.
@Hassat Hunter I wouldn't say the conses is hatred, apathy maybe, and the Christmas suicide thing I think comes from people conflating it with seasonal depression. It's true that many people are sad around Christmas, but there are also many people who suffer from depression in the winter, apparently because the days are shorter.
And I love Christmas. I think it's actually my Valentine's day. I didn't realize Christmas was a Christian holiday until I was 12, so I assumed it was a holiday to celebrate your loved ones and buy them presents and make them cookies. It's time to be warm and cozy and snuggle under blankets.
I think Valentine's would be a lot more fun if it were in Spring. It's a more romantic time, frankly. Buds are sprouting, you can go finally sit on the grass without freezing your butt off and you can eat ice cream again.
@Hassat Hunter I wouldn't say the conses is hatred, apathy maybe, and the Christmas suicide thing I think comes from people conflating it with seasonal depression. It's true that many people are sad around Christmas, but there are also many people who suffer from depression in the winter, apparently because the days are shorter.
I don't like Christmas. When I was a kid, it was the time of the year I was the saddest. Granted, we didn't know about seasonal depression at the time (apparently, I have two kinds, meaning I get depressed in winter AND summer, but I'm fine in spring and autumn), but to me it always seemed incredibly unfair that I would get all these toys while some people didn't even have food.
Never saw it as something Christian either, probably because in France the name is still Yule (well, Noël, but that was the name for Yule which was kept when it was turned into a Christian holiday). But to me it has always been commercial. It's "kid's day" to me, the day parents give stuff to their kids (the opposite of mother's and father's day).
Of course since I'm an adult now I don't get gifts from my parents anymore, but I don't give any for Parents Days either.
So yeah, I always hated that time of year, which was not only commercial but, which seemed the worse to me, had that "Santa's rewarding good kids" thing, making poor children feel like they had been bad just because their parents couldn't afford gifts, and bad rich children think they had been good just because they were spoiled brats. It had always seemed to be the single most unfair day ever, not just because rich people can afford more (which is always the case), but because everybody would say that it meant they were better.
But as with any commercial day, you do what you want out of it. You don't have to get into the consumerism, annoying as it may be. You can keep the "true" meanings of the holidays. You can turn them into whatever you want. So on Valentine's Day, you can celebrate just love, like nik said, and not worry about the pink hearts in store windows.
For Halloween, you can honour your dead and not pay attention to the pumpkins, spiders and candy.
On New Year's Eve you can take the time to reflect on the past year without feeling like you have to make unreasonable resolutions about the next one.
And so on, and of course, you can also do nothing and not care about the days at all. But I think a lot of people like having that kind of rhythm in their lives. Just like the seasons change, the holidays do, too. That gives ideas for contests that allow me to have fun, so that's a good thing, right?
Actually, my mom never told me about Santa because she didn't want to lie to me. Of course I heard about him when I started pre-school, so I was Santa-free for only three years; no way I was going to miss out on a free present! (Although now that I think about it, she probably didn't give me an extra present, she just held one back to open Christmas day instead of eve ... darn!)
I also think it's pointless to feel guilty about having more than other people. Which is a harsh thing to say, but feeling guilty doesn't make the other person any happier, it just makes you more depressed. I think it's more important to help other people as much as you can, and to enjoy what you have as fully as possible. There is suffering all around us, and there's only so much we can do to relieve it. At the same time you should also enjoy life as much as possible, in honor of those who can't. Your feeling guilty won't make them feel any better, so enjoy what you have while you have it, and do what you can to help others.
Actually, my mom never told me about Santa because she didn't want to lie to me. Of course I heard about him when I started pre-school, so I was Santa-free for only three years; no way I was going to miss out on a free present! (Although now that I think about it, she probably didn't give me an extra present, she just held one back to open Christmas day instead of eve ... darn!)
Well, I didn't believe in Santa either, what made me sad is the whole concept. The idea that people tell all children "you'll have more gifts if you're nicer", then they get nothing because their parents are too poor and the school bully gets lots because his parents are rich. Or something.
(Also, I've always had gifts on the 25th, waking up to find them - after failing to stay up all night reading to be the first one there - was very much part of the whole thing. The 24th had the big meal though.)
I also think it's pointless to feel guilty about having more than other people.
Of course, and it's better to channel that to help people who need it. I guess I just felt annoyed with my parents, and guilty for being annoyed with them when they were giving me stuff.
At the time there was no way I could give things to other people, and my parents wouldn't, so I felt powerless and sad.
Of course, there is the other issue that my parents also thought "if we spend money to give them stuff, that will make up good parents", when more stuff doesn't mean better. Actually I would have prefer less stuff, but stuff I'd enjoy more. So I felt guilty for not being happy with what I got.
I also think it's pointless to feel guilty about having more than other people. Which is a harsh thing to say, but feeling guilty doesn't make the other person any happier, it just makes you more depressed. I think it's more important to help other people as much as you can, and to enjoy what you have as fully as possible. There is suffering all around us, and there's only so much we can do to relieve it. At the same time you should also enjoy life as much as possible, in honor of those who can't. Your feeling guilty won't make them feel any better, so enjoy what you have while you have it, and do what you can to help others.
Agreed. I am and have always been rather poor, and on two occasions even homeless. But I wouldn't want the world to stop enjoying things that I can't. If you can afford that mansion and 800,000 dollar sports car, then enjoy them. If I were to have that kind of cash, I'd live like a king too. Of course I'd help out the needy (never forget your roots, and all of that), but it's insulting to have money and act like you don't need or want it.
All I and the other poor folks I know ask is that we don't be judged or mocked for doing what we have to do to survive with few means. A little charity doesn't hurt, but nothing put a smile on my face when I was homeless quite like seeing people enjoying the day. It gave me the strength to get back on my feet. Had I seen nothing but misery from people living far more comfortably than I, well, I would have just crawled into an alley and given up on life.
I think that Valentine, Mother's day and Dad's day are there to promote consumer behavior to spend, spend, and more spending in gifts. Stores live for the holiday seasons. But anyway I also cant admit that Valentine's Day provides the opportunity to express your feelings in a creative way to the person you like the most.
You can take that day to buy some roses and give it to all your friends or if you are feeling in a flirty mood go and give it to the most beautifull girls you encounter in the day.
Originally not, at least for Valentine's day and Mother's day. However Father's day is an entirely commercialised idea.
Meh, just another day to me. Most I do these days is make a cute card/write a cute poem for my close friends but that's about it. As for the day itself, my current plan is to just hang out with a friend and maybe watch a movie or play a game, whatever strikes our fancy.
Might be more enthusiastic when I find that strange specimen known as a "boyfriend" but God knows when that'll happen. If ever.
I am going to study glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, possibly adding in the light reactions and the Calvin cycle. Because Valentine's Day is just another day to me.
Although, I might just celebrate by watching Firefly again. XD
Well, I didn't believe in Santa either, what made me sad is the whole concept. The idea that people tell all children "you'll have more gifts if you're nicer", then they get nothing because their parents are too poor and the school bully gets lots because his parents are rich. Or something.
(Also, I've always had gifts on the 25th, waking up to find them - after failing to stay up all night reading to be the first one there - was very much part of the whole thing. The 24th had the big meal though.)
Of course, and it's better to channel that to help people who need it. I guess I just felt annoyed with my parents, and guilty for being annoyed with them when they were giving me stuff.
At the time there was no way I could give things to other people, and my parents wouldn't, so I felt powerless and sad.
Of course, there is the other issue that my parents also thought "if we spend money to give them stuff, that will make up good parents", when more stuff doesn't mean better. Actually I would have prefer less stuff, but stuff I'd enjoy more. So I felt guilty for not being happy with what I got.
We opened our presents Christmas Eve because that's how they do it in Germany, at least that's what I was told by my German-American grandma. And I understand your feelings a little better now. Many of my friends had parents like that growing up. To feel like you can't help other people, that has to be a horrible feeling. :virtual hug:
Agreed. I am and have always been rather poor, and on two occasions even homeless. But I wouldn't want the world to stop enjoying things that I can't. If you can afford that mansion and 800,000 dollar sports car, then enjoy them. If I were to have that kind of cash, I'd live like a king too. Of course I'd help out the needy (never forget your roots, and all of that), but it's insulting to have money and act like you don't need or want it.
All I and the other poor folks I know ask is that we don't be judged or mocked for doing what we have to do to survive with few means. A little charity doesn't hurt, but nothing put a smile on my face when I was homeless quite like seeing people enjoying the day. It gave me the strength to get back on my feet. Had I seen nothing but misery from people living far more comfortably than I, well, I would have just crawled into an alley and given up on life.
Well, to be honest I was thinking more of occasionally eating out at a restaurant or buying books instead of borrowing them from the library, but I'm just cheap But I don't begrudge someone else spending more money on themselves, especially since they might be doing a lot I don't see. (Of course when I see someone buying an $800,000 sports car and paying their employees less than minimum wage that's a different story ...)
And thank you for giving a better explanation of what I was trying to say than I did. There's just a huge difference between flaunting or showing off and genuinely enjoying yourself. You can actually cheer other people up just by being happy yourself. That's also why whenever I give money to a homeless person I always look them in the eye and smile at them. To let them know I see them as a person, and not just an object of pity.
And I'm sorry if I'm getting too serious here, it's just a topic I feel very strongly about. Although, at the rate I'm going, my bleeding heart'll drown the whole forum!
(Of course when I see someone buying an $800,000 sports car and paying their employees less than minimum wage that's a different story ...)
Haha, yeah. I should have added that caveat. There's a fine line between a Daddy Warbucks and an Ebenezer Scrooge.
And I'm sorry if I'm getting too serious here, it's just a topic I feel very strongly about. Although, at the rate I'm going, my bleeding heart'll drown the whole forum!
Same here, lol. It's a habit for me to turn a topic like this into a soul-search. Cheers to all for humoring me and not just telling me to shut up about it already.
I am going to study glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, possibly adding in the light reactions and the Calvin cycle. Because Valentine's Day is just another day to me.
Although, I might just celebrate by watching Firefly again. XD
Gaah! I was hoping to spend the 1/2 term without biology, and you just said my least favourite modules of said subject!
Well, to be honest I was thinking more of occasionally eating out at a restaurant or buying books instead of borrowing them from the library, but I'm just cheap But I don't begrudge someone else spending more money on themselves, especially since they might be doing a lot I don't see. (Of course when I see someone buying an $800,000 sports car and paying their employees less than minimum wage that's a different story ...)
Yeah, I'm cheap too (erm, frugal, I mean frugal!) so I can't imagine ever spending fortunes on stuff. Like sometimes see clothes that cost a thousand times what mine cost and don't look like they're that much more comfortable or elegant or anything, and I tell myself it doesn't matter how rich I'd get, I could never buy something like that. Even if I had more money than I'd know what to do with, there will always be causes I care about, charities, stuff like that.
But just because I would doesn't mean I think it's wrong that people do. If they have that much money, good for them. having been in both the rich and the poor sides of the spectrum, I also learned to let people spend money on me. When I had enough money, if I wanted to go on a weekend trip with a friend, and to pay for her, and she refused because she was too proud, well it ruined my weekend, too, when the amount spent wouldn't have hurt my wallet. So without leeching or anything, I try to remember that if someone invites me somewhere, it makes them happy to spend the time with me, and they feel it's worth spending the money. So just because I can't return the favour (not in that way at least) doesn't mean I should say no, because that would deprive both of us of a good time.
I'm also feeling better about charity. When I grew up, charity was something people did while obviously thinking "we're better than them, and because we help then they should be at our feet", and I just hated that. As a result I developed some kind of problem when I would help and absolutely refused to be thanked, or do things anonymously as much as possible, because I was scared to death that I too was doing things to "have people at my feet".
But I realised that it's important when someone helps you to be able to thank them, and that not hiding doesn't mean I'm asking for praise, so I'm getting better about that, too.
Aahh, forums. They make you save a fortune in shrink fees (see above, "cheap frugal").
Gaah! I was hoping to spend the 1/2 term without biology, and you just said my least favourite modules of said subject!
I feel the same way. So, I'm also going to write silly comics about them to lessen the pain. Cell respiration is easy to make fun of because there's like a gazillion Matrix jokes begging to be made.
Somebody told me that they fancy me on Valentines Day... which was nice
Anyway you know full well that when you're going out with someone that ye's say "Oh don't get me anything for Valentine's Day, it's silly" so you don't and then there's a row in which expensive ming vases are tossed across the room
I had sushi in bed as planned (makizushi, I made mushroom-avocado, avocado-cucumber and cucumber-mushroom), along with miso soup (homemade by Ian, mmh) and teriyaki.
I like picnicking in bed (we put a wooden board there and the food on top of it) and I was wondering if anyone has ever done that before? We do it every so often, usually when the weather doesn't allow for picnicking outside.
Comments
Great attitude and great way to try and bring it on to other people who don't have it. Overall a great thing to say!
Those better be red velvet cupcakes.
I was speaking about weeks at a time...
Or... I could use the time to catch up on a few Telltale Games that I have yet to find time to play.
Huh. There's something for my brain to chew on tonight. I never even considered that perspective. Hell, looking at it like that really makes many of my issues with the holiday seem selfish.
Also, I have liked the past few Valentines Days with a girlfriend a great deal more than those that I spent without one.
With no contact from family, or the internet, etc. whatsoever?
Yes. I consider them Tom time. I turn off my power an just... Be. 'Course, I buy groceries and other important stuff before hand.
I don't think I would like that very much. I love being online and talking on the Internet. I come here every day. Now, it's true that I have spent months without going out at all - over six months at one point - but it was too cold and it was bad for my asthma, and when I tried I ended up in the hospital, so... It wasn't really voluntary.
And of course I still saw my husband nearly every day.
But the Internet... Forums, chatrooms, emails... They're my main means of communication with people, and I'd hate to be without. I'd have to learn to use a phone again >.>.
Anyway, going back to Valentine's Day. The way I see it, countries that already have Thanksgiving don't really need it, because it's basically the same thing. Telling people you're thankful to have them or that you love them is really pretty much the same thing to me.
But I'm not a very "Special Occasion" oriented type of person. If I find something I think a friend of mine will like and it's two days before their birthday, I'm not going to wait for two days before I give it to them, it seems silly. I'll just give it next time I see them.
Now for the important thing: why didn't anyone warn me there was such a thing as Valentine cupcakes? I want some!
That's like trying to convince all people here V-Day is awesome, even if the general consus seems one of hatred, staying indoors and sleeping it out. Hmmm... interesting. Fair enough, I was just going off the basis that it has been a "fact" for many many years.
@Hassat Hunter I wouldn't say the conses is hatred, apathy maybe, and the Christmas suicide thing I think comes from people conflating it with seasonal depression. It's true that many people are sad around Christmas, but there are also many people who suffer from depression in the winter, apparently because the days are shorter.
And I love Christmas. I think it's actually my Valentine's day. I didn't realize Christmas was a Christian holiday until I was 12, so I assumed it was a holiday to celebrate your loved ones and buy them presents and make them cookies. It's time to be warm and cozy and snuggle under blankets.
I think Valentine's would be a lot more fun if it were in Spring. It's a more romantic time, frankly. Buds are sprouting, you can go finally sit on the grass without freezing your butt off and you can eat ice cream again.
I don't like Christmas. When I was a kid, it was the time of the year I was the saddest. Granted, we didn't know about seasonal depression at the time (apparently, I have two kinds, meaning I get depressed in winter AND summer, but I'm fine in spring and autumn), but to me it always seemed incredibly unfair that I would get all these toys while some people didn't even have food.
Never saw it as something Christian either, probably because in France the name is still Yule (well, Noël, but that was the name for Yule which was kept when it was turned into a Christian holiday). But to me it has always been commercial. It's "kid's day" to me, the day parents give stuff to their kids (the opposite of mother's and father's day).
Of course since I'm an adult now I don't get gifts from my parents anymore, but I don't give any for Parents Days either.
So yeah, I always hated that time of year, which was not only commercial but, which seemed the worse to me, had that "Santa's rewarding good kids" thing, making poor children feel like they had been bad just because their parents couldn't afford gifts, and bad rich children think they had been good just because they were spoiled brats. It had always seemed to be the single most unfair day ever, not just because rich people can afford more (which is always the case), but because everybody would say that it meant they were better.
But as with any commercial day, you do what you want out of it. You don't have to get into the consumerism, annoying as it may be. You can keep the "true" meanings of the holidays. You can turn them into whatever you want. So on Valentine's Day, you can celebrate just love, like nik said, and not worry about the pink hearts in store windows.
For Halloween, you can honour your dead and not pay attention to the pumpkins, spiders and candy.
On New Year's Eve you can take the time to reflect on the past year without feeling like you have to make unreasonable resolutions about the next one.
And so on, and of course, you can also do nothing and not care about the days at all. But I think a lot of people like having that kind of rhythm in their lives. Just like the seasons change, the holidays do, too. That gives ideas for contests that allow me to have fun, so that's a good thing, right?
I also think it's pointless to feel guilty about having more than other people. Which is a harsh thing to say, but feeling guilty doesn't make the other person any happier, it just makes you more depressed. I think it's more important to help other people as much as you can, and to enjoy what you have as fully as possible. There is suffering all around us, and there's only so much we can do to relieve it. At the same time you should also enjoy life as much as possible, in honor of those who can't. Your feeling guilty won't make them feel any better, so enjoy what you have while you have it, and do what you can to help others.
Well, I didn't believe in Santa either, what made me sad is the whole concept. The idea that people tell all children "you'll have more gifts if you're nicer", then they get nothing because their parents are too poor and the school bully gets lots because his parents are rich. Or something.
(Also, I've always had gifts on the 25th, waking up to find them - after failing to stay up all night reading to be the first one there - was very much part of the whole thing. The 24th had the big meal though.)
Of course, and it's better to channel that to help people who need it. I guess I just felt annoyed with my parents, and guilty for being annoyed with them when they were giving me stuff.
At the time there was no way I could give things to other people, and my parents wouldn't, so I felt powerless and sad.
Of course, there is the other issue that my parents also thought "if we spend money to give them stuff, that will make up good parents", when more stuff doesn't mean better. Actually I would have prefer less stuff, but stuff I'd enjoy more. So I felt guilty for not being happy with what I got.
Anyways, it was lots of things, really.
Don't judge me.
Agreed. I am and have always been rather poor, and on two occasions even homeless. But I wouldn't want the world to stop enjoying things that I can't. If you can afford that mansion and 800,000 dollar sports car, then enjoy them. If I were to have that kind of cash, I'd live like a king too. Of course I'd help out the needy (never forget your roots, and all of that), but it's insulting to have money and act like you don't need or want it.
All I and the other poor folks I know ask is that we don't be judged or mocked for doing what we have to do to survive with few means. A little charity doesn't hurt, but nothing put a smile on my face when I was homeless quite like seeing people enjoying the day. It gave me the strength to get back on my feet. Had I seen nothing but misery from people living far more comfortably than I, well, I would have just crawled into an alley and given up on life.
Originally not, at least for Valentine's day and Mother's day. However Father's day is an entirely commercialised idea.
Might be more enthusiastic when I find that strange specimen known as a "boyfriend" but God knows when that'll happen. If ever.
Best post in this topic.
Although, I might just celebrate by watching Firefly again. XD
We opened our presents Christmas Eve because that's how they do it in Germany, at least that's what I was told by my German-American grandma. And I understand your feelings a little better now. Many of my friends had parents like that growing up. To feel like you can't help other people, that has to be a horrible feeling. :virtual hug:
Well, to be honest I was thinking more of occasionally eating out at a restaurant or buying books instead of borrowing them from the library, but I'm just cheap
And thank you for giving a better explanation of what I was trying to say than I did. There's just a huge difference between flaunting or showing off and genuinely enjoying yourself. You can actually cheer other people up just by being happy yourself. That's also why whenever I give money to a homeless person I always look them in the eye and smile at them. To let them know I see them as a person, and not just an object of pity.
And I'm sorry if I'm getting too serious here, it's just a topic I feel very strongly about. Although, at the rate I'm going, my bleeding heart'll drown the whole forum!
Haha, yeah. I should have added that caveat.
Same here, lol. It's a habit for me to turn a topic like this into a soul-search. Cheers to all for humoring me and not just telling me to shut up about it already.
Gaah! I was hoping to spend the 1/2 term without biology, and you just said my least favourite modules of said subject!
Yeah, I'm cheap too (erm, frugal, I mean frugal!) so I can't imagine ever spending fortunes on stuff. Like sometimes see clothes that cost a thousand times what mine cost and don't look like they're that much more comfortable or elegant or anything, and I tell myself it doesn't matter how rich I'd get, I could never buy something like that. Even if I had more money than I'd know what to do with, there will always be causes I care about, charities, stuff like that.
But just because I would doesn't mean I think it's wrong that people do. If they have that much money, good for them. having been in both the rich and the poor sides of the spectrum, I also learned to let people spend money on me. When I had enough money, if I wanted to go on a weekend trip with a friend, and to pay for her, and she refused because she was too proud, well it ruined my weekend, too, when the amount spent wouldn't have hurt my wallet. So without leeching or anything, I try to remember that if someone invites me somewhere, it makes them happy to spend the time with me, and they feel it's worth spending the money. So just because I can't return the favour (not in that way at least) doesn't mean I should say no, because that would deprive both of us of a good time.
I'm also feeling better about charity. When I grew up, charity was something people did while obviously thinking "we're better than them, and because we help then they should be at our feet", and I just hated that. As a result I developed some kind of problem when I would help and absolutely refused to be thanked, or do things anonymously as much as possible, because I was scared to death that I too was doing things to "have people at my feet".
But I realised that it's important when someone helps you to be able to thank them, and that not hiding doesn't mean I'm asking for praise, so I'm getting better about that, too.
Aahh, forums. They make you save a fortune in shrink fees (see above, "cheap frugal").
I feel the same way. So, I'm also going to write silly comics about them to lessen the pain. Cell respiration is easy to make fun of because there's like a gazillion Matrix jokes begging to be made.
(Yes, I know he didn't mean that.)
Anyway you know full well that when you're going out with someone that ye's say "Oh don't get me anything for Valentine's Day, it's silly" so you don't and then there's a row in which expensive ming vases are tossed across the room
I went from Valentines Day, Bah humbug to I FLIPPIN LOVE V-DAY!
I like picnicking in bed (we put a wooden board there and the food on top of it) and I was wondering if anyone has ever done that before? We do it every so often, usually when the weather doesn't allow for picnicking outside.