— Christmas Morning

Just before dawn here. I got out of bed about an hour ago and did some preparation with the turkey. It’s still too early to put it in the oven. I’ve lined out the roasting tin with foil, got the stuffing ready, and a couple of hours from now I’ll put it all together. I wanted to get a goose this year but the guy who had the goose was too greedy, so we settled for turkey again.

For reasons of circumstance, which are out of my control, I have to spend parts of the holiday in the company of a guy who thinks racist jokes are funny. Luckily there are other people around, too, so I might not kill him.

I’m not a Christian and have no real religious sensibility, so these few days have more of a traditional, social and familial, rather than spiritual, importance for me. I like the carols and to see children’s faces and the way that adults try to act grownup.

But with these pathetic and offensive jokes in the vicinity any residual sense of peace on earth, goodwill towards men I may have is going to be sorely tried.

I’m hoping for a miracle.

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