Surviving the holidays

After months of being hounded by writing.com to take part in their daily quick writing contests, I finally succumbed. The prompt given was 'Surviving the Holidays'. I immediately thought of a character for the story. Psychologists and some such enthusiasts will concur that this character stems out of my own personality, but it does not. I personally love the holiday time, full with decorations, gifts and well wishes. It is a joy to be completely focused on celebrating.Can't say the same for this guy, though. Here's the piece I wrote:

I open myeyes to the familiar smell of winters. The warmth envelopes me as I dread thenext few seconds in which I must find the mental strength to step out of bed.Just like the swift motion of removing a band-aid, I jump out to feel the piercingchill for a moment, and then slowly regain myself. It’s the beginning of December,which means that Christmas and New Year are just around the corner. Others maylook forward to the inane excitement of it all, but as you may have guessedby now, I do not. I find no specific reason to celebrate something that hasnothing to do with me, and affects me in no way. If you ask me, the holidaysare just a man made scheme to make a quick buck from a sea of unsuspecting guineapigs.

If you thinkthis sunny disposition of mine is a recent development, it is not. I have notsuffered a devastating blow in my life, not yet at least. I am just one ofthose rare people who are above anything else; realistic. I look at a glassfilled with water, and call it what it is, a glass of water that is probablyfilthy by now with everyone staring at it wondering if it was half full orempty, but no one actually drinking it. Growing up people would lovingly referto me as junior Grinch, and I would smile and say ‘At least I get all thepresents for a while.’ This loving reference changed into a scornful comment asI grew older.

Today is oneof those days I find myself excessively honest. It is lunch time, and I alreadytold my mailman that I would get my mail faster If it were dropped whiletransporting and dragged to my doorstep after being stuck to people’s shoes,and informed my cook that her food should be given to the lab for inspection ofmutation. They both swore under their breath and walked away.

The holidayseason has that effect on me. I find it a pain, and people are well aware ofthat. Maybe that is why I am never invited to any parties, or asked toparticipate in any gift giving. It’s all for the best I suppose, I doubt Iwould like anything people gave me. And vice versa.