by Zhaun Ortega
I woke up this morning and realized that the air was cooler than it used to be, some random yuletide songs were playing from the neighbour’s speakers, and wish lists flooded my Twitter timeline. To me, that only signalled one thing: the season of spending and receiving has started. December has always been my favorite month because of two things: my birthday and Christmas. And although I am tempted to write about my birthday, the saner side of me suggests that would sound a wee bit too narcissistic. So I’m going to stick with the topic that most every writer in the Philippines will be writing about starting this week: Christmas.
Here is the deal, for partyphiles, Christmas is one of the busiest seasons. It is the most festive part of the year, filled with parties and events. In fact, the partyphile’s schedule is so jam-packed during the season, that it is virtually impossible to attend each and every soiree. And because there is much to do, so many people to meet, and so many places to go, the common partyphile loses his sense of what the season truly means and how he should feel towards it. More importantly, he loses his view of how to spend an ideal Christmas. Because the season is just too hectic, a lot of people get stressed out and totally forget how to have fun; and that is a shame for any self-respecting partyphile. In fact, a great Christmas experience has less to do with what happens, and more to do with what you feel and how you react to what happens during its course.
Obviously, a perfect Christmas is different for everyone. We all have different expectations and traditions to live up to. However, one thing binds us all: the partyphile spirit. You see, the partyphile spirit is carefree, fun, and well-meaning. I know it sounds much like the Christmas spirit and that is because it is one and the same. The only difference is that partyphiles are expected to imbibe this type of positive attitude all throughout the year while the Christmas spirit is only expected to somehow take over your usual demeanour during the Holidays.
What am I talking about? Here is my attempt at describing it: you know that fuzzy feeling you get a couple of days before Christmas? The one that pushes you to do well and makes you feel good from the moment you wake up until you drink yourself to sleep? That is the Christmas spirit, and that is the partyphile spirit as well. So here is the thing; if you want to be a partyphile, you must try to achieve that feeling every single day. Why? Because as a partyphile, you owe it to yourself to feel good, feel positive, and spread the positivity for the reason that it will come back to you tenfold. I know this sounds preachy and up in the air, which is odd for someone who has created a reputation for being materialistic and hedonistic, but I think positivity goes beyond that. I think it goes beyond buying stuff for yourself; it goes beyond wanting to surround yourself with nice things. It goes beyond giving in to the pleasures in life; it goes beyond wanting to party every single night. Because positivity is something you acknowledge only when it takes over you. You can still want nice things, still want to party, and still want to get drunk every single night and remain positive.
Now why am I giving a lecture about positivity? Because during Christmas, the worst thing a partyphile could do is to play the Scrooge to a tee. Positivity is the only weapon against that; and it is the only way everyone could enjoy their own version of a perfect Christmas.
I know it is a little too early to start lecturing about the real meaning of Christmas and all that fluff, but this is not like that. This is a life lesson, dear partyphile. One that took me years to learn, and is taking me more years to master. The truth is, in the most basic sense, a partyphile is somebody who encapsulates the feelings you get when attending a real good party, exudes that, and shares that to everyone. In a nutshell, a partyphile is someone who is positive. He does not need to drink, although he does. He does not need to spend a lot, although he may. He does not need to dress up, although I wish he can. All he needs is positivity to be counted as part of the partyphile breed. What is the point of this article? To tell you this: if you want to enjoy the Holidays, or any other season or episode in your life, let go of all the stressors and the drama, and keep a positive attitude.
I know what you’re thinking. If I could say it in one sentence, why is this article so long? Obviously, I needed to fill up the space. And because I know my editors and my readers are positive people, they won’t mind.
Listen to Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio every Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 PM on 105.9 Mix FM or www.mixfm1059.com. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, visit http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist on twitter.com/zhaun
