"The
rigorous practice of rugged individualism usually leads to poverty,
ostracism and disgrace. The rugged individualist is too often mistaken
for the misfit, the maverick, the spoilsport, the sore thumb.” Lewis H. Lapham
Yep it's that time of year again...Yuletide. The season of goodwill to all men.
Now as all you JaxWorld
readers know I am a HUGE fan of the season. What is not to like,
friends and family gathering close, festive food and drink, lots of
occasions for dressing up and on top of it all a quietly reflective time when we look back on the past 12 months and ask ourselves
if we are living our lives as our spiritual guides intended.
As
you can tell my the distinct lack of fresh blogs over the past weeks,
it has been a very hectic time for me. I can hardly recall a night where
I was in my own abode over recent weeks, my attendance at events
varying from going to choral concerts, to joining friends at Hyde Park's WinterWonderland, to dancing the night away at clubs, to having moscow
mules on the roof tops of Battersea, to enjoying the festivities as
Richmond lit up for the season... it's been pretty non-stop - and there
is no sign of a reprieve till we are safely in 2013.
People
often comment that I do tend to live my life like I'm a candle to be
burnt at both ends and the middle, and maybe that is a fair comment. But
I think the key to having an enriching and varied social life is to be
interesting enough to be invited in the first place - and be polite
enough to turn up. I think all JaxWorld readers are pretty clear about my views on Camelpoodles - but if you are new to the blog (and there have been a few hundred newbees recently - so WELCOME!) basically a Camelpoodle is someone who heartly
agrees to go to a function, then always cancels at the last minute with
a flimsy excuse. It is safe to say that no one could EVER accuse Jax of camelpoodling... I think it is an honour to be invited to anything, therefore if one says one will be attending one should. (end off).
However I am not the person who will turn up to the opening of a crisp packet.
I
do give full consideration to what I am saying yes to before I commit.
And if it clashes with other commitments - even if the secondary invite
is more favourable
- then it's a no thank you. And if it is something I know full well is
not something I could possibly enjoy, then a decline is also on the
cards. However, as I said it is more likely that if I'm invited to
something I'll be there - most of my friends know exactly what kind of
things float my boat.
That said I do occasionally
get an invite out of politeness. If it involves a sporting activity,
most people know that I may be 'washing my hair'… so the recent 5 aside
tournament went ahead without me, along with the badminton and
ice skating! Though I did managing to meet up with all involved
afterwards. Needless to say mindless activities such as paintballing
went down a treat with me...it's just amateur competitive sport that has
me minding the coats in the bar!
Normally
I'm happy to give most things a go... after all, the activity is
usually just an umbrella to get everyone to huddle under. It's the
turning up that creates the goodwill with friends and family.
Therefore it was a little surprising to find myself recently cast in the role of Spoilsport.
MOI!
Gawd
bless the French for coming up with the idea of the toilet cubicle. You
find out more about how people view you by lingering in the toilet
cubicle that you ever would in an honest face to face conversation!
That
said, it was not my intent to linger in the bog. I was wearing a rather
retro DNKY top (remember the 'poppers'?!!) and was fumbling to get the darn thing reattached. Anyone who recalls Donna Karan's
smooth fronted tees will know that the look involves having to raise
one foot on the loo seat to attach the poppers. Thus I should imagine
that when the two girls came into the loo to have a 'private' chat and
checked the stalls for feet... mine were well out of view.
Actually
on that subject... it's a PUBLIC toilet.... the clue is in the name … I
wouldn't consider anywhere flagged up as PUBLIC a place suitable for a
PRIVATE conflab!
Anyhoo....
In the come and start discussing the prior nights 'AMAZEBALLS pre-Xmas gathering'.
"So..." say girl 1 after a brief conflab about who got off with whom "What do you think the REAL reason was why Jax didn't come"
After
a short analyses of ludicrous reasoning (including a deep and
meaningful crash I apparently have on one her consorts....NEWS to me!)
Girl 2 announces "Well you know what she is like... if it's not all
about her, and she can't be centre of attention...she won't go, she's such a bitter one that one...can't just go with the flow...what a spoilsport!"
There
was more mutterings in which they agreed I had hugely missed out and my
attempts to ruin the pleasure of the event for others by my 'theatrical
and unnecessary' refusal to attend. They finished powdering their noses and left the loo.
Like I said it is amazing what you can learn about yourself in a public loo! Well
when I finished laughing and fighting with DNKY's retro nightmare... I
went back, joined the crowd and acted none the wiser.
But I am.
Still...
onwards and upwards. Seven days and it will be Christmas - the mass of
the Christ. "Turn the other cheek" he said. So... in the spirit of the
season I will.
Which is rather sporting of me, I think!
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Well I had a little chuckle at this one.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all so what if one wants to be centre of attention and 2. a spoil sport, Jax, really??!!!
Well you did amazingly well not to walk out the cubicle with your camera at the ready just to capture the look on their faces.
The Mikster