And the season passes, with nary a tree or ornament, it's everyone else's holiday, not mine.
Xmas Eve the last minute filling in of gifts I'd purchased for family at the Liquor store then drunk, Xmas day, a nasty hangover, then trip to Edmonton with the boy for the festivities...
I'm not even slightly in a festive mood.
The boy, however, he's got 2 weeks off of school, a week or more of snowboarding in Fernie to look forward to, he's in a festive mood. And he's gloating over my hangover, I'm painfully human, I can't be bothered to hide it....
Xmas dinner, family & friends, the boy is poured a glass of wine by family to celebrate.
I top it off. Again and again. I want him to learn the hangover lesson early. I want him to understand that there's no harm in drinking - in moderation - but find your level, know what's acceptable, this he has to find out for himself, I can't tell him this....
The family is a little aghast, it's not us, a glass is fine, more is -well, white trash....
It's not really, it's the learning of acceptable drinking with family, not friends, in a safe environment...I have countless justifications, research I could present, but it doesn't matter. Let him enjoy himself, if he goes too far he'll pay the price later.
The boy's taking the bait, drinking too much, not really but he's not a practiced drinker.
But I watch him, and he's good with the water. He's getting drunk, settling into the sofa, laughing at the family dynamics, seeing things through a lens similar to mine, only his is filled with good humor. He's a merry drunk. This is good. And I keep topping up his drink, but he's too slow to push it away....
He's a glass of water, big, that he's nursing. A trick he learned from Mom, avoid the hangover, I'm impressed, I wouldn't have taught him this - not until later, and his mom doesn't give him wine, strange conservative morals that tell him to wait until he's 18, physically he's almost as big as me, perhaps bigger, but this arbitrary age, arbitrary association of maturity, it's the other side of the family. Mine as well, I don't deride his mother's point of view, I only know that those cultures that have no prejudice against wine, alcohol, imbibe less, have lower binge drinking, lower alcoholism in general, and this is what I want him - my boy - to learn, a taste, an appreciation, a respect for what he's drinking. It's a healthy part of life, to be merry, to be drunk, to see things in a different way, to enjoy life - occasionally - with others, with that liquor, that bond, that leveling of intellectual snobbery and arrogance, of class and ten thousand other vices I see him becoming prey to....
I'm impressed with the water. The family, they're not so impressed, he's not holding it so well, obviously tipsy, and perhaps - me aside, he should cut himself off. He hasn't done this. I should teach him this - later - know where you are, the limits, and conduct yourself accordingly - here, given the level of tacit disapproval, he should have cut himself off earlier. But it's Christmas, we'll discuss this later.....
He survives.
Xmas passes, gifts exchanged, return to Calgary, some slight rest and relaxation, then back to work....