A digital Christmas

[Dod101]

Not really a new topic but a different slant on the C word.

Gillian Bowditch in the Scottish Edition of the Sunday Times, with reference to comments made by the First Minister's little helper, Professor Jason Leitch, opines that 'were one to spend Christmas Day holed up in a three star hotel with a bucket of non alcoholic champagne and only John Bell of the Iona Community for company, it may very well be preferable to celebrating Christmas digitally'.

But that is what Jason Leitch is proposing. Jetting off to the Maldives is allowed or for that matter grouse shooting, but having your closest relatives to dinner at Christmas is not to be apparently.

Dod

[Gerry557]

I wonder how many people will be relieved not to have the pressure of Christmas forced upon them and use covid as a justified reason.

A house crammed full of people that don't get on, auntie bringing her little dog, cos he's no bother. We'll apart from the little droppings on the carpet and setting off John's asthma. Fred, the adhd kid that wakes a 5am and cousin Bob who likes to drink till at least 2am.

Then you cook your Christmas Dinner. Gluton, dairy, soy free making sure that the sprouts don't touch the carrots to cater for every dietary needs and whims.

It's not all bad, after spending two days preparing, it goes much quieter when the adults fall into a drunken stupor watching the Queen Post eating, whilst you load and set the dishwasher for the third time in between rebuilding the lego spaceship that keeps getting trodden on.

I'm just wondering which catogory I get labeled with.

[bungeejumper]

LOL, am I the only one wondering how this topic made it to health and wellbeing? Or are we talking booze control and stress management?

I do worry for people with mental health disorders, that's for sure. The isolation of lockdown has been bad enough for many this year, but being deprived of all remaining family meet-ups at Christmas, however poor, will come with problems of its own. I have this feeling that the A&E departments are going to be busier than usual.

BJ

[Dod101]

I posted it here that's how it got here, and I think BJ, you have answered your own question. It is not just people who have mental health disorders pre Covid, it concerns the number who are getting quite stressed currently. You only need to look at some of the posts here to see that people are I think more stressed and techie than they used to be. I live alone (not particularly from choice) and I must say that although I am active and get out every day, I do not have any real conversations over lunch and a couple of glasses say, which I used to do maybe a couple of times a week. I sure miss that and under our version of Covid restrictions we are not even allowed to set foot in another's house.

The article struck a chord with me.

Dod

[kempiejon]

C'mon, we've not had Hallowe'en nor Bonfire night and already the C word.
There's hot cross buns in my local shops.

[bungeejumper]

You only need to look at some of the posts here to see that people are I think more stressed and techie than they used to be.

Oh, indeed, Dod. No names, no pack drill, but there are a couple of TLFs I could name (on other boards, of course!) who seem to have descended into putting each other down with advanced mathematical sophistry that leaves no room for reasoned debate - never mind making any alllowance for the fact that we still don't know an awful lot about this virus. For some people, destruction seems to be the new synthesis.

I do not have any real conversations over lunch and a couple of glasses say, which I used to do maybe a couple of times a week. I sure miss that and under our version of Covid restrictions we are not even allowed to set foot in another's house.

Thank you for saying that. I'm fortunate enough to have plenty of daily domestic conversation with the great love of my life , but I still miss my monthly beer evenings with my best mates - haven't seen them since February!

O/T, but I was also struck by one feature writer in the FT who said that she had at last managed to meet up with a good friend over a glass of wine, and that they'd both found that they had little to small-talk about. Their lives had become smaller, and their social skills were starting to wither. I'm sure they'll re-grow once this crazy war is over, but it won't be for a long time yet.

BJ

[Mike88]

A digital Christmas with no visitors or no one to visit sounds like heaven.