Preface To One Last Very Self Help Radio Christmas: Wait, One Last Christmas?

What's going on?  One last Christmas show?  Is this - can it be - have we finally reached the end of Self Help Radio?

Sorry, no.  I've just decided to stop making Christmas shows.  But why?

Had I the time, I would look back over the things I've written about Christmas over the last few years.  There was a time when I really quite liked Christmas music.  But I suspect I have mentioned in passing the three things that have been nagging at me for the past few years:

One, I wasn't celebrating Christmas as a holiday.  I haven't bought presents for friends or my wife or really anyone for over a decade now.  I stopped going home for the holidays after I moved out of Texas (the first time) & didn't start again when I moved back (making my mom a little sad).  Really, the only thing I have done in over ten years that was Christmasy was a radio show.

Two, I'm not a Christian.  I know Christmas is a mostly secular holiday at this point, but it felt weird to talk about & play songs about the religious aspect, most of which I think is hooey, & then to not really take part in the other stuff, which is fun - giving the gifts, Santa, reindeer.

Three, I don't have kids.  I don't have any biological kids nor do I have children in my life.  If I did, I might get them presents - they delight in getting things, after all.  But with these three marks against Christmas in my book, it just seemed silly to spend time listening to Christmas music for a show that I was enjoying less & less as time goes by.

You may know I come from a fairly large family - six brothers & sisters, most of whom have reproduced - & you might think, why don't you buy them gifts at least?  It's funny you ask - I recall a family Facebook group from a few years ago when the discussion was, "What do you want for Christmas?"  The instruction was to list three things.  To a person, my siblings, nieces, & nephews wrote, "1. Gift Card to X; 2. Gift Card to Y; 3. Gift Card to Z."  I mean, why not just ask for money?  I guess I'd send them money if they wanted that.

There is one last reason I will probably talk about on the show.  & some people think I will renege & return to doing Christmas shows next year.  & perhaps I will.  But for now, it feels almost over.  & for me, it does seem like tomorrow's show will be the very last Very Self Help Radio Christmas.