Thursday, December 10, 2009

Unremarkable

As the festive period - are we there yet - rapidly approaches, I begin to imagine the brief foray into the Up North. I think of Boxing Day as Up North Day. Tradition has it that the day will be bitterly cold, yet the family will collectively haul frozen ass to some sporting non-event - maybe a football match, possibly a horse racing fixture.

This year, things could be a little different. Boxing Day morning will see me visit the ever-ailing maternal grandmother. As I explained to Birthday Colleague, earlier, a September or October death would have probably been the best thing that could have happened (I think I used the word 'convenient'), but that hasn't been the way.

I'm wondering whether some bracing outdoor walk, maybe a forest, or the coast, would be a better alternative afternoon 'trip out'. I think that would risk the further fragmentation of the clan, though. Siblings, and their plus ones, would likely miss the eleven against eleven, or the chance of a flutter. We also share the quiet humour of how unremarkable our Boxing Day sport can be, and I'd miss that.

This is what I've been wondering about.

2 comments:

Brennig said...

Do you not think that Boxing Day has become a bit of a peculiar day in itself? These days it's almost like 'Christmas Day 2 - Revenge Of The Family'. Or maybe it's just me.

Queenie said...

Brennig, it's not just you.

Shane, sometimes family traditions exist for good reasons.