Posted by alexandra_k on December 24, 2013, at 19:24:09
I think maybe they pity themselves. Or something... Who knows...
I got a text from a mate. He is doing the christmas with his wife's family, thing. He's lying down already. Fed up. Cheap (thoughtless) crappy gifts and social pressure to smile smile smile have a good time amongst the one upmanship and vaguely concealed insults. You know, the way most people socially bond.
And I get to opt out.
Other friends up from Wellington. Same thing... He's at her family's doing the exchanging of thoughtless junk thing. Where you know in advance there will be insulted feelings and tears and feelings of inferiority etc etc no matter how the gift thing turns out. Where the people get to stand around and talk about how much money they made that year and how many kids they can fit in their large plastic houses.
Ugh.
And I get to opt out.
Some people do have happy Christmases, I guess. Those who get to feel good about themselves for running other people down. Those who have thick enough hides to not let the insults get to them. The people who don't mind roughhousing with the puppy's to see who gets to be top dog... The people who would rather be trampled and kicked around by all than to... Opt out. I don't get that.
Apparently it is because I'm broken.
Mmm Hmm...
I saw this documentary thing on the TV about the housing situation. A lot of people are pissy about some of the apartment blocks that got built in the city. They aren't pretty, that is for sure. Cheap one bedroom apartment housing, basically. With a small balcony. Apparently they changed building laws after that... Set a minimum size on the balcony size and the square footage or something. (Not entirely sure how student housing manages to get exception from that with studios -- perhaps because it is temporary student housing? I don't know). Anyway... They did this thing where this single guy let the TV cameras into his house for the News. Shows how much happens in NZ, huh, that this counts as news.
It was funny that... Most people seemed to cringe and hang their heads and they visibly... Felt sorry for him. Pity. Except... The odd guy... A lot of the women were like 'oh, I could never live like that. I mean my house has got 5 rooms and we still feel crowded!' etc. Some of the guys were like 'my house has got 5 rooms and they all belong to... my wife'. What that guy had in the city in his tiny one bedroom apartment is more of a guy space than most guys get.
A place where nobody tells them to do this and that and the next thing. To not do this other thing. To take their feet off. To not have another beer. Etc...
Why do people put up with that?
I don't understand.
I guess they do their pros and cons and figure it worth it?
?
Maybe the pleasure in joint activity thing got broken. And I'm too self conscious / sensitive to deal with the inter-personal jostling that people invariably seem to do in their attempt to... bond. is that really what they are trying to do with that???
you insult me and that is supposed to make me want to be your friend and want to spend time with you?
who got broken again?
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1056955
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20131211/msgs/1056955.html