Salutations!

Wall-E (my appropriately name laptop) came home safely today. I was a little worried to be honest, because it was “touch and go” for a while, but he is safe and sound (I love personification).

Anyway, I would like to wish all a belated Happy New Year, and a very belated Merry Christmas.

Instead of asking you how your cheeks lit up in the cold, or how crispy (yet moist) the family turkey was, or describing my family’s 2009 yultide experience, I wanted to know if anybody really thought of those less fortunate than ourselves this year (well last year, but you know what I mean)? It is something that I just couldn’t escape as my family sat to open up wonderfully colourful presents; laughing to dismal Christmas cracker jokes; bickering over which seasonal movie to watch on the t.v.: “Home Alone” or “The Grinch” (”The Grinch” happens to be a favourite at our house!) and I kept feeling we’ve a lot to be thankful for that just seems to remain unacknowledged, ignored or even forgotten about.

Maybe I actually ‘grew up’ without realising it, and that the facade that is the ‘magic of Christmas’ has finally been revealed for what it truly is: Commercialism at its most deadly. Am I being cynical or realistic? When did Christmas become a time to spread wealth instead of  goodwill? A time when people constantly try to out-do one another’s generosity? Or when children grow up associating the birth of Christ with ‘Santy-time’? Have we really become such materialistic morons? And where does it begin: with the parents?, or with the children?

I thought a lot about how it might feel to not have a home this Christmas. To be living in the cold, without shelter or food, and particularly; family. What is Christmas to the homeless, to the poor, to families who’ve “lost” their sons and daughters, mothers and fathers? Surely, they cannot find enjoyment in playing pass the parcel, can they?

And what has Christmas become to us, the young minds of Ireland: do we welcome this new Christmas and allow it to be a holiday based purely on gift grabbing?; or do stand up to our friends and families and say “Bah! Humbug”, because let’s face it, anyone who thinks like me is called a Scrooge?! Ironic though, isn’t it? Christianity teaches us to always think of another’s plight, whereas modern society teaches us to forget about plight altogether!

And I’m sure there are those out there that are probably muttering to themselves, “Well what have you done that is so great?” and I’ll be honest in admitting that I’ve done nothing. But this isn’t a message about thinking about others or being charitable. I simply just think that we take far too much for granted in this life. Here we are, all of us, worrying about what type of exam results will get us into college, but there are those out there that worry about whether or not they will eat on a given day, whether or not their mother or father will come back to get them from the “Home” they live in, or whether or not they will be forced into prostitution or thievery by pimps and blaggards. Scoff all you like, but this is the truth that faces many hundreds of thousands (possibly millions) of children every day and we feel hard done by because we’re given the opportunity to get an education, and a life outside of any environment we may reside in now. I think that is quite a lot to be grateful for, don’t you?

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And what did everyone think of the Leaving Cert. Timetable? Personally, I love it! English on the morning of the 9th and then, on the evening of the 10th: brilliant! Irish on the 14th and 15th, French and History on the 16th, Biology on the 17th and Music on the 24th…think I might actually do well this year!

My External Candidate application form came yesterday. It was so confusing! IF this and BUT that, and THEREFORE something else- but thankfully, I just have to bring it up to the school and then it can be posted off to the department. Wish Me Luck!

How is the study going? I must admit I’ve done very little but I anticipate by the time February rolls along, I’ll have finished English, Irish and Music for good (already finished English) and will only have to worry about revising for them. History however, is not goin as well as I had hoped. Will just have to stick with it though. My R.S.R is finished: “The Life and Times of Harvey Milk” (its copyrighted so no plagiarism please (joke!) ).  French is actually o.k. (for the moment) and Bio is going well too. We still have five months so if we keep on top of things, we should be ok. Anyone drawn up plans till exam time…?…No one….No…neither have I…he he…that’s stupid…

Its great to be back!

Slán leat,

Ian