It’s That Obligatory Christmas Post

In order to fast track the process and skip the blasé and mandatory phrases like “I can’t believe it’s that time of year already”. When you know VERY well that is that time of year again and like most years it seems to happen every 12 months or so. We shall skip right along to depth of the obligatory Christmas year-end post.

If it really does bug you that I haven’t written an entire opening intro this post and droned on about things like pets and family and the frustration of shopping during this time of year. Then I am afraid you’re not going to like much rest of what I have to say. I don’t own any pets. And those pets that I dont own haven’t done anything Youtube worthy of late so there’s that first disappointment. 

At the time of writing this post I had a twitter poll running online. The poll asks the question: What do you do on the 25^th December 2016. I specifically worded the poll with the exact date in question to my readers because I didn’t want people answering in a general basis. Ie we party or we go on holiday etc etc. I just want to know what you do exactly on the date of the 25^th December 2016.

The year is relevant to my question as well. I say this because I can almost guarantee you that you were not doing much the same on 25^th December 1995 than you are now. And why is that relevant? Well its relevant because my concern at this point and time and my pondering are all about the advancement of our life-state in today’s age. I mean I love what I do for a living and I have fought and I fight every single day for my dreams and my goals etc.

I however am one of the few who grew up in a generation or rather with generations around me who taught me the basic things in life.

I can live long and stay strong without being covered in brand name clothing. I can start a fire with sticks. I know how to stay warm in winter with no clothing or indoor floor heating and visa versa. There are things that I know how to do that I think people either take for granted? Aren’t teaching the children of this generation and or forgetting. The worst thing about this is we are not protecting those in the know either.

I read about a brand of cars the other day. If you didn’t know this small fun fact. I am obsessed with cars. Always have been and always will be. Well not just cars. I’d say anything with a motor and the ability to create speed. Or that which can be designed and driven. No I don’t own every box set of Top Gear known to man (I used too and then that laptop died). 

So there I was taking a break from all the social media bits I do. Quietly sitting outside reading about this beautiful car company based somewhere out in Cuba. There were only a few cars left of the brand and those had been allocated between museum’s/buyers and collectors. The collectors however have been a little screwed over. As the article explained there is no one left in the world that knows how to fix the engines and parts on these outdated cars?

The last few mechanics that worked on these cars and knew what was going on under the hood have all but passed away. And with them their collective knowledge and experience. An entire generation of cars that now can only be appreciated visually. And that makes me sad. In fact I think in some way it makes everyone sad. Not everyone has read that article and not all of humanity even like cars but the saddening aspect of this story is that we as humanity is desperately trying to find our own way back to doing things ourselves. And being ourselves.

Life is a visual overload at the moment. There are too many choices to many brands making the same things and claiming the same things. We don’t need HALF of what we THINK we do. We’re just constantly being told that we do and if we don’t then we’re made to feel out of touch and left behind. Its man made manipulation. And it’s dangerous.

Several studies have been written up and research done of late that shows a growing trend in us as a species closing in on ourselves. Silently and without protest. We just have too much. Too much choice too much excesses too much everything. The world is a highly over stimulated population right now and things are only getting “bigger better and more boastful”.

I work in the digital field and I love it. And yet I too cannot ignore the way in which things are going. There are major benefits to the advancement of technology and science this is a fact to that cannot be underrated. The trick in all this is MODERATION. And value. Our sense of VALUE has gone down to an almost nothingness.

In fact that’s a lie. Our sense of value and our perspective on it has changed and it’s been flipped dipped whipped and shipped far far away to some distance land! I know that could have been a Snoop Dogg lyric but the reality couldn’t be more in our face.

You know what I value? Well for example. I value it when I give someone a compliment on how nice they look or the shirt they’re wearing. And they say “thank you”. That’s it. That’s all. I grew up being taught to have manners and if I am in agreement with the persons compliment (because some compliments are not compliments) then I will immediately say thank you.

You know what I don’t value? Giving someone a compliment and then having them drone on for about 5 minutes as they explain “How expensive their top/branded shirt/bling” was. Not only is that information I did not ask for or require but you have turned someone’s compliment into a free boasting session for your ego and believe me it DOES NOT impress the intellectuals. Not in the least.

This is just one very personal example of the way in which 1 aspect of value in human society has changed. Just one. From one person and that alone should have us paying attention to where we are going. Or rather where we are going back too.

We are a society that has invested so much value into likes and retweets and favorites. Instead of hugs and lunch with a friend. Lunch with a friend where you actually talk about your lives and ask each other how you’re truly doing. Nothing we do online is ever a true 100% version of how things are actually going in our lives. Its not something we can change its just the nature of social media and that’s okay. Sometimes though there is nothing better than just sitting on a bean bag in the sun with a friend and cooler box of drinks and just laughing and crying it out. No selfies or emails. Just basic human interaction

I cant think of the last time I just had a friend hug me. Just hold and hug me and tell me it’s all going to be okay. Hugs are so important to us as a social interaction and as a mental one. In fact so much research has been done just on the affects that hugs and hugging have between humans it’s literally crazy that we don’t do it more often. We should be hugging it up with our friends and family for all kinds of benefits but especially the one to our quality of life.

I guess age is another combining factor as to how you spend your Christmas Day this year. All I have seen online is everyone who owns a business or even anyone who thinks they do is throwing or going to a Christmas Party or a NYE Celebration. Everything’s a party. And the death toll just keeps rising. I’ve worked on an event or two this festive season and while the experience was amazing and something I am truly passionate about. Knowing that I was going home was a brilliant feeling.

So how does that make me feel? Well obviously there are moments of FOMO. I am a social butterfly I love meeting new people and going on adventures and being at events. I have always loved being in that environment. Heck its what I initially studied. The problem is when it starts affecting you mentally. Now this can be on any basis. Ie not being able to be happy at home. Not being able to be happy missing an event or not being in all the photos. Watching your friends all “check in” somewhere and just wishing you too could tap that location button.

Then there is other side of the mental aspect. Celebrating Christmas is NOT actually for everyone. And many people realize this. If it’s not a religious thing and you don’t have family then times can be pretty bleak actually having to walk into malls that are over decorated. Lines that are crazy long because people have been pressured into buying gifts for people they don’t know and cant afford. Oh ja you forget about all the excess expenses that you suddenly now have to fork out because half the people who are “claiming” to be celebrating the birth of Christ are actually just all on holiday at the same time and on a week long drinking spree.

I don’t mean to make out like I hate the festive season but I must admit I haven’t jumped on the “jolly train” for a few years. I am usually working and or catching up on a years worth of work that’s fallen by the wayside. To me the 25^th of December is the 25^th of December and usually a day where I forget 99% of shops are closed. I refuse to be made to feel guilty about how I feel and I feel for those who are socially pressured into making decisions or doing things that are not in their best interests.

I like to think of the end of the year to be a time to reflect on the year passing. We have all done things that we are proud of and some that we hope nobody uploads to social media lol. We have managed to make it to another year and by the sounds of things 2016 has been rough for humanity. This year has literally thrown the book at many of us and told us to re-invent the wheel. And not many of us actually asked for the wheel to be re-invented. We were quite happy to have the wheel as it was and what its initially purpose and use was. Then again there are always benefits to change and it’s up to us to decided how we want to react to change and what we will do with that change.

Personally in someway’s this year has been the best year of recent for me. And in other ways this year has been the worst year of my life. It has broken me in way’s I never knew I could be broken and its showed me just how strong of a person I am. Without sounding vain about things I have been through far more in my life than 90% of the people I know today. We all walk our own paths but I do feel at times a truck has come down my path and lost control. It’s been hard. It’s been emotional. Its been depressing and there has been much heartache. 

So what does that mean for 2017 and me? Well as I sit here I am updating all my work things and making plans to create new things in the future. I don’t know if 2017 knows who I am but its going to not before long. In fact I am the one coming out strong and hard swinging the bat. So as I happily wave goodbye to 2016 I also acknowledge the tools and gifts it has given me to take on 2017.

As a species as a collective we have to start being more positive in our lives. We have no choice but to be positive in today’s world. As the world gets faster and easier to access there is so much space and potential for more “bad news” “bad moods” and easier ways to complain bitch and moan about everything. We DO have the power to choose how we go about conducting ourselves. Stop blaming everyone else for you shit and just go about doing all that you can within your own power to create what you can and KEEP MOVING FORWARD! The moment you STOP moving that’s where shit get’s fucked up!

So as I leave you with this wealth of information on everything under the sun and Christmas I wish those who are celebrating a good one. To those who are working or traveling or just go about their business have an amazing day too.

We all deserve happiness and joy and light and when you have it. Be it through business or someone who’s stumbled into your laugh. Hold the fuck onto that shit and don’t let it go!!!! These things and these people they are becoming more and more rare. They are a dying breed. And we need them now more than EVER!

Oh and please do come follow me on ALL that social media I just mentioned. I love seeing what you are all getting up to. Where you live and what you do in your lives. My most active platform is Twitter. And then I am also on Instagram. Facebook (Page). Snapchat. LinkedIn. Webfluential etc. And all those platforms are under @CeecesTravel 🙂

You can also find my adventures under #CeeSummerLoves for the whole of the just beginning Summer season in South Africa. And some of our events on #WeaverBirdComms.

And As Always….
#LoveAndTravelHugs
Cee