Last year a few days before Christmas, I announced that Christmas 2010 would be my last commercial Christmas, at least for a while. I didn’t mention the circumstances I knew awaited me in 2011 – I just said I was walking away.
Now, almost a year later, I’m gearing up for my first non-commercial Christmas. I’ll admit, I just spent about five minutes trying to find a suitable antonym for “commercial.” In the end, maybe I’m just dropping the word altogether, shifting from commercial Christmas to just Christmas.
This year. . .
- I’m not buying new stuff: I’m either not giving anything or shifting to experienced-based gifts.
- I’m not getting new stuff: I’m giving away everything I receive. (By the way, if you don’t want me to give away your gift to me, don’t give me anything.)
I’m living in Seoul, South Korea right now, literally half a world away from my family, the main present participants. I’d like to transition this into a long-term deal, but this first one here should be easier. I won’t have the pressure associated with all the Christmas parties.
Hopefully I’ll be able to continue Christmas without presents as a habit once I get back to America. For now, I guess it’s almost an experiment.
Join me?
