photo credit: saxoncampbellEver wonder why your favorite Christmas Carols are your favorites?
Thinking about that the other day I discovered the reasons why, over the years, certain yuletide tunes appealed to my ADHD self.
Jingle Bells
I don’t know about you, but when I was little, singing “alternative” lyrics to Jingle Bells was the sign of a rebel. And who amongst us with ADHD (especially those of us in the blurtatious a.k.a. verbally impulsive camp) can’t relate to that?
Bonus points if you were brave enough to sing “Jingle Bells, Santa smells…” in front of a teacher or parent. (Guess who got the most bonus points?) (There’s no point in being jealous; you’ll never catch up to me now. Pin your hopes on your ADHD kids.)
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 25 May 2013
|
Hi sis,
It should be said that I am still a practicing atheist heathen (your words). In our earlier years I would suggest that it wasn’t atheism but the lack of formal instruction. I don’t know if you recall a lot of the Baie d’Urfe years. You and I attended some Sunday school classes at the church which was off the end of the Dorset School parking lot. I believe we went for a couple of months (give or take). I can’t actually remember how or why we started but I do remember being told that we were not welcome because our parents were not members and did not attend church.
As stated previously I am still a practicing atheist heathen but I now do this out of choice. I am not a radical atheist but an atheist all the same.
I will not debate the subject because there are no winners and I respect others for their individual beliefs, if these beliefs practice what any holy text preaches. I am talking about peace, love, understanding, commitment and respect to name a few. Unfortunately those that believe in this way are often over shadowed or over powered by the fanatics which every religion seems to have with maybe the exception of Buddhism.
I enjoyed your writing but felt that describing our family as atheist heathens needed a bit of clarification.
Busted! (by my big brother!)
Hi Scott.
Thanks for the clarification. I was actually just going for humour; I hope you weren’t offended. After I posted it I realized that mom probably still believed in God, but really, it wasn’t about any of that.
I just hope the post provides some much-needed levity because honestly, Christmas can be very stressful for a lot of us.
So hey – what’s YOUR favourite Christmas Carol & why?!
Take care,
Z.
P.S. – Full disclosure: as we’re going for a more factual account, truth is, I did NOT “lord it over” the family when I came back from midnight mass. As I recall, everyone was in bed by that time and the worst I did was gorge myself on chocolates and shortbread cookies. I just thought it was funnier to write it up that way. But I do recall wishing that I could share my spiritual bent with the family and feeling very lonely with my beliefs. See? The truth isn’t quite as entertaining as the caricature I portrayed. *sigh* I think I’ve taken all (or at least some of) the magic and funny out of my post. Darn.
P.P.S. – For those of you planning on buying my upcoming memoir, I promise it’s completely true (as far as I recall the details of my own ADHD life). Read all about it in September 2013!
Hi Zoe,
I enjoy a number of Christmas songs such as Silent Night, Deck the Halls, but I believe that my favorite would have to be Silver Bells.
Also I believe mom did still believe and it was more apparent during the latter days of her life. I really can’t say that dad was atheist either, I think he may have been a practicing agnostic judging by the different types of reading material he had. What I can say for a certainty though is our household did not openly participate in Religious practice, I can’t remember any meaningful conversations on the subject, as well I can’t remember any negativity discussed either, it just was never brought up.
I did catch the levity of the post and I did enjoy it, I guess I still have some sensitive areas when it comes to the past, and by the way your not the only one who test tasted the chocolate and cookies after hours.
Scott
Zoe, It’s getting harder and harder these days for me to distinguish from brainwashing and religious practice. I may have allowed people to ruin the spiritual aspects for me over the years with brainwashing and their forced opinions.
Maybe that is my adhd: I have allowed all the other practices to interfere with my own. Too many things interfering and focusing on what is right for me.
My parents went to sleep on Christmas eve after a fun night at my Grandparents. (So did I). We didn’t go to church on Christmas morning either.
During the year sometimes I’d go with my sister. My Mom and Dad would stay home. It wasn’t something we did together. I was the same with my kids. I tried several times. It just didn’t work for me.
I tend to be solitary about worship and go once in a while. I think it’s great to gather and have God in common. Fantastic.
Over the last few years my Mother has made comments about me attending ‘service’ and not mass. She came wth me to a bible church and commented that it wasn’t Catholic.
Either it’s adhd or just me, but it doesn’t matter to me. It’s Christian and more about the culture and the common ground in doctrine. That is not my adhd talking.
About Christmas carols. As a kid I really liked changing the words of the songs. I used to write my own songs all the time to reflect a more humorous lyric that my siblings and cousins could relate to!
I added plays (with makeshift costumes and funny faces and sounds). We would sit all the parents down and act them out with the funny songs! How’s that?
Jim Carey wasn’t around in those days….but if he was, he would have been outshone!
Jane 49,
I love your story about re-writing Christmas Carols and then entertaining your family! I wish you’d had a video camera back then so you could share them with us. Sounds like terrific fun!
I hope this Christmas brings lots of laughter and smiles your way.
Take care,
Zoë
Merry Christmas Zoe. I hope your dreams all come true!
Thanks Jane49, you too!
I’ve always defined a dream as something you work like heck to make come true; so far, so good!
Warm wishes for 2013!