Great Western Coffee Shop

An unusual poll - a personal one for friends / members here.  A call for opinions, asking for your votes but in a secret ballot so that you can be honest and vote as you think, not as you feel others would want you to think.

I'm lucky and I know it!  Christmas Day at a family member's house.  Familiar, relaxed,  amusing company and this year's Christmas dinner surpassed previous already high standards.  Still home in time to deplete the port and sherry stockpile while putting our feet up to watch a film.

Something of a co-incidence as Lisa, Lulu, Lightning and I watched the new Christmas movie "This is Christmas" last night. A train of regular commuters from the fictitious town of "Langton" into Liverpool Street start off in the late Autumn not knowing each other and an incident with the Train Manager and one who has picked up the wrong coat and left his season ticket behind brings a first chink of visible humanity.  Hey - it's a "Rom-Com" though one which goes far deeper into people, and people in the lead up to Christmas, so all ends up well in the end.  But trust and mis-trust, key characters finding that they are no longer the right ones for their established (but not yet married) partners and re-pairing, and people who are finding Christmas hard because of people lost in th year just gone all find new friendships.

From Find that location (https://findthatlocation.com/blog/this-is-christmas-filming-locations-christmas-in-the-commuter-belt)

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An early comment on the votes in this thread.  Substantially AOK Christmas for most of you, though only one has gone as far as saying a "marvellous" day.  But around a quarter of us are less than positive about it (and sadly that includes us personally) with more than one vote suggesting that Christmas Day was a significant change.

A major reason for using a poll to ask members how their 25th went was to allow people to vote in secret and un-biased in what they say, without risk of personal kick-back. I will admit to selecting a none-positive option; for sure, there were wonderful elements to ou Christmas day but the overriding memory some 48 hours later is of cultural differences and misunderstandings that have tested us - but not (in our cases) beyond the limit and things are settling again.

Like the film, members here have become over the years much more than the person sitting in the next seat in the train.  They have become friends, some of whom we have come to know well where others remain here, but not in the limelight.  To that significant proportion who found Christmas difficult, welcome "back" here - though we never closed - and please feel able to read, post (and use "And Also" none-public area) or send personal messages - or email, or phone or set up a Zoom session.

Onwards, and upwards for 2023!  Probably another post. Looking to longer days, better weather and a chance for a trip out - wondering about going to The Beach on Saturday 15th April, and perhaps trying out Porkway Partway if it's open by then ...

OK - short poll closed

Marvellous day   - 11.1%
It was quite good   - 51.9%
Ho hum - neither good nor bad   - 7.4%
A bit difficult   - 3.7%
Tough, but we survived it   - 7.4%
Negative and our world has changed   - 7.4%

I didn't notice it was Christmas   - 11.1%

Delighted that two thirds of voting members were happy or rather blasé about Christmas - thoughts with the (roughly) fifth who find / found Christmas difficult or worse.  We are starting to move on; 2022 has been a year of many changes, many of which have been challenging.  I'm sure there will be much more happening in 2023, but I look forward hopefully to positive in some or many of them, and to being strong to meet those challenges.  Not giving up on Christmas, mind you - 25th June 2023 in our family diary to eat with friends and family, to celebrate what we have and the good in one another, and to continue to look out for others "throughout the year" and not just at the traditional Christmas.

The poll results confirm my guesses about how people feel about Christmas.

As (almost ) ever, I was perfectly content with a quiet day on my own. Several of my friends (again) expressed concern about this, and a few days ago one brought along a plastic Christmas tree and decorations, then saw the look on my face and offered to take it away. I made an effort and said "no", but after she'd left I hid it away upstairs.

A cousin did volunteer her husband to drive to collect me, take me to North Wales, and then return me home after Christmas - that would have meant almost a thousand miles of driving for him. I wouldn't have enjoyed the journeys, nor that jollifications with two children (albeit very pleasant), one of whom is recovering from Strep A. And her dad is getting over Covid.

I'm virtually teetotal (though I will finish of any left-over wine I've bought for a visitor) and am not too bothered about food. I'm content that other people enjoy Christmas in their own ways, provided they don't become anti-social.

To be just a little positive, Christmas Day is just four days after the Winter Solstice, so the days are staring to lengthen, and it's pleasant to exchange cards and a little news with people one isn't normally in contact with through the year.