December 26th was the worst day of the year growing up. It was the "morning after" before I had any idea what the morning after meant. It was the the low after the high.
Weeks of intense anticipation for Christmas day and the gifts I would receive and the Dad's Diner breakfast we would eat came to a crashing, sudden halt on this day each year.
The morning of December 26th brought the reality of the ugly, cold weather outside. There were no more green and red sugar cookies. The tree didn't have the same glow. The gifts were already boring and sometimes broken. Christmas songs weren't enjoyable anymore, just annoying. It was still too early to call your friends. The whole vibe was completely lost.
Throughout life I realized this sudden loss of happiness would happen more often than one day a year. Every high had its equal low immediately after.
The morning after my wedding. The rest of the day after my graduations. The morning after numerous parties. The day after vacations.
This came to mind as I spent this evening with my wife. In our crazy, wild life, this meant sitting in front of the TV while the kids were sleeping watching her "stories." Yes, fatigue gets the best of you in this profession of ours.
At the end of her show, the typical resolution came about and the protagonist learned the moral of her story. Yes, it is important to maintain your relationship with your mother.
Hey. I didn't say it was my show. I said it was "her stories." There is no football to be found on Tuesday nights and baseball has been dead to me since the Indians flamed out in, errrrrr, April.
Everything was nicely wrapped up and all loose ends tied when I thought to myself, "What next?"
I'll tell you what next: the low, depressing feeling that comes after the dramatic moments of your life end, but life goes on.
December 26th comes next.
10 comments:
that is DEPRESSING.
...then New Year's Eve came and there would be glass house parties!!! Life was good!
this is the most depressing thing I've read in a while. Sure December 26th wasn't great, but to say that EVERYTHING has a down size equal to it's upside? So basically everything balances to zero? No forward progression toward happiness? I'm so sorry you feel this way...
Yeah, basically everything balances out. But don't feel sorry, the zero point isn't automatically negative. It is zero. Actually, I think of "my" zero as a pleasant one. So maybe it would then not be zero would it? I seem to be wavering.
My point is I am at such a high that coming down from that high feels depressing but once settled in, it isn't necessarily bad. Just not at that high.
Let me put my thoughts this way Kathryn. One doesn't return to "zero." One returns to their particular baseline. For some, the baseline may be +5 towards happy and others -5 towards sadness. Therefore, the moments after big happy events are a return to the baseline which may not be so bad.
But the descending feeling towards that baseline feels sad at first since it isn't as high as one just was.
I think that is a clearer way to describe my reasoning why this doesn't have to be depressing or sad.
Dude.. that was so depressing... I actually let out a little snicker.. as it is somewhat true. I just didn't need it pointed out so bluntly....
Actually I think you rebound below your baseline, and then climb back up to "zero". .. maybe feeling your baseline is "zero" is an unconscious sign that you're not happy even at a normal state..
-Mike
Good point mike. I only refered to zero as a baseline in response to Kathryn though. I still stand by my comment that one's baseline could be better (or worse) than a true or absolute zero.
Wait a minute. I just realized what you guys found so depressing! No football on tuesdays. And the Indians were done before they started this year.
OHHHHHHHHHHH....yeah, that really is depressing. You are right.
I think you all missed the most important point of the blog, and that was the part about maintaining your relationship with your mother. Ha!
Didn't she have a part in making December 25 so special? Guess I should have paid more attention to December 26, especially since I felt the same way about it when I was growing up.
On the other hand, there's probably an important life lesson in there somewhere that I shouldn't try to cushion you from. :)
are you kidding me? that's the day i was born, thanks for making it dark for me, you selfish moron.
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