Re: Autistic new year ideas?

[Guest guest]

> I wonder if we have a tendency to find novel ways to see the new

> year in?

It doesn't seem possible for me to feel there's any particular

significance to the day, other than it signals the start of the

hardest academic quarter for me on my job.

All I do is flip the page of the wall calendar before I go to bed.

Jane

[Guest guest]

I don't even stay up until midnight anymore. Why? It's a new year, yeah, so?

New year, same BS.

D.

----- Original Message -----

From: Jane Meyerding

> I wonder if we have a tendency to find novel ways to see the new

> year in?

It doesn't seem possible for me to feel there's any particular

significance to the day, other than it signals the start of the

hardest academic quarter for me on my job.

All I do is flip the page of the wall calendar before I go to bed.

Jane

[Guest guest]

>

>

>

> I don't even stay up until midnight anymore. Why? It's a new year, yeah, so?

> New year, same BS.

Maybe I'm living the opposite way round to most people. I had a

pretty bad time of it up to age 30 or so, and didn't celebrate

anything much. Now I'm happier (not that life's a breeze, but it's

way better than it was) any positive marker is an encouragement to

reaffirm that life, mine, anyone's, is important.

Maybe it comes from something my cousin said to me years ago about

celebrating birthdays - that she feels it's important to celebrate

your birthday because it's a celebration of yourself and your

existence. I tend to feel that by doing other wider celebrations my

own way I can celebrate existence not just once a year.

And, new year as a random date doesn't mean much, but I'm very glad

the days are beginning to lengthen again, as we're having a wet and

windy winter here.

Ruth

[Guest guest]

> It doesn't seem possible for me to feel there's any

> particular significance to the day,

I think there's something to be said for a day or night of

celebrating for the sake of celebrating. Nothing else -- just

to celebrate a non-event.

About the only thing to follow as far as customs is to either

drink or not drink, and wander about at night. Where I live,

there's the national monument for the Masonic Lodge about 5

blocks away, and they have fireworks. Some neighbours have

parties, and the entire ritual to remember is:

1. Dress for the weather. Extravagant party dress (NT or

Autistic) is okay but not mandatory.

2. Have alcohol, non-alcoholic beverages or slightly-alcoholic

beverages, per your choice.

3. Bring some token thing to private parties. A bottle of wine

or local Champagne (or whatever wine pressurised from natural

fermentation is called in " Designation of Origin " countries)

will do.

4. If nothing dramatic happens, that's good.

5. If you don't do anything, that's okay and also good.

That said, I've generally had very good experiences on New

Year's Eve, ranging from parties to taking the train in to NYC

(never went to the Times Square thing; just went to the

Village), or just hanging out at home. The social rules are

such that one need not be good at NT customs.

I remember one PATH train trip (subway) back from NYC after New

Years, when some 18-something women from Jersey City were on the

train with the spike heels removed from their FMs. They

explained that some guys tried to jump them in a subway station

I avoided during the day. It turns out that FMs have a single

nail holding the heel, so when they were attacked, they ripped

off the heel and had an instant weapon. They were complaining

that the police threatened to arrest them for assault, which

suggests they made a bit of a mess of their attackers. Moral of

the story, don't mess with Jersey girls unless you want to get

messed with. Anyhow, it was a good story on the way back to the

NJ suburbs.

- s0

[Guest guest]

I ended up spending the entire day thrift store shopping with friends, not

specifically to celebrate the new year but because I have a long weekend because

of the holiday. I was invited to a party but decided I was to tired (after 6

thrift stores) to drive safety to a new destination in the dark.

~Marcie

[Guest guest]

I prefer quiet nights at home as it is.

Did you find some good things whilst shopping?

>

> I ended up spending the entire day thrift store shopping with friends, not

specifically to celebrate the new year but because I have a long weekend because

of the holiday. I was invited to a party but decided I was to tired (after 6

thrift stores) to drive safety to a new destination in the dark.

>

> ~Marcie

>

[Guest guest]

>

> I prefer quiet nights at home as it is.

>

> Did you find some good things whilst shopping?

>

I did manage to find some suitable articles of clothing, and a possibly

interesting cookbook. As picky as I am about what I where (I like shirts with

abstract or stylized designs, and of course, they have to be soft and not feel

like they are choking me), finding anything is a hassle, so finding a few shirts

in day is a success. Going with people I like makes it a bit less of a hassle.

~Marcie

[Guest guest]

> I did manage to find some suitable articles of clothing, and a >possibly

interesting cookbook. As picky as I am about what I where

" What I wear " not " what I where " . " What I where " is a whole 'nother story :-)

~Marcie