Non-Conform
It’s X-mas time… which doesn’t mean much to many people on the planet.
My friends who know me, of course don’t ask me stuff like that anymore, but in the company the same stupid scene plays itself out every year.
Are you going home to Germany for X-mas, Glei san?
NO, I’M NOT!
I haven’t spent X-mas “at home” since age 23. I left “home” at age 19 and never slept another night under the roof of my parents. From age 23 onward, I am boycotting X-mas in its entirety. My only family is my sister.
Not every family in the western world has a jolly good Christmas. I have no “home”, never had one and I’m more than fine with that. There was a popular song in the 80ties by Paul Young which went in the lines of “wherever I lay my head, that’s my home”.
Be happy and enjoy, whoever has a family to “go home” to, but please don’t project your jolly X-mas on others. Don’t raise your brows if someone says “no, I’m not going home for X-mas”. Because guess what, I will have a jolly good time next week also without Christmas. There are billions of people on the planet who don’t care about Christmas. There are millions of people who don’t like Christmas, because they have to pretend to be living in happy sunshine families, while in reality they are dysfunctional.
So, what will I do this year during Christmas week? I’m going to India. I want to see the Taj Mahal.
That’s another weird reaction I am getting now. What? India? Why India?
Why not! I got less raised eyebrows when I went to Australia or Singapore for X-mas, but now India generates some interesting reactions. Yes, it’s maybe not the most popular tourist destination in the world, but why the hell not? What’s wrong with India? It’s probably safer there at the moment than in some areas in Europe thanks to terrorism….
What makes me angry is this conformity thing. Western people are supposed to be Christians and are supposed to go “home” for Christmas. Sorry, a) I’m an atheist with maybe some Buddhist tendencies, and b) I don’t have a “home”, but so what? I have no problem with that and am enjoying my freedom. Why do some people have a problem with that?
We preach diversity and tolerance everywhere, but as soon as you do something out of the norm you get weird looks and stupid comments.
Anyway, this was my pre-X-mas rant and I’ll be off to India tomorrow and I’m greatly looking forward to this little adventure. Reports shall follow. I wish happy X-mas to anyone who celebrates it and to all those who don’t – have a good time like I intend to and don’t let the conformists pull you down. Cheers! 
