On Strike for Christmas

On Strike for Christmas

Adult holiday fiction
One of my absolute favorite family Christmas movies is On Strike
For Christmas. I was delighted to see that it was the adaptation of a
book when I saw that book on a shelf in my local thrift shop--mine for
a quarter. Yesterday I decided to read and review it on the sofa with
my beautiful tree still gracefully adorning our living room.
Even as guys are doing more of their share of housework and
childcare, doesn't it still seem that women do the lion's share of the
many tasks that make the holiday season spectacular? Not much seems
to have changed since the days when my mother addressed the cards,
baked the cookies, created the Christmas pageant costumes, trimmed
the tree, bought the presents, and got up at some ungodly hour to prep
the turkey for a noon feast. It was taken for granted that she would
and that a lot of women would. But what if women refused to play this
role? That's the delightful premise of On Strike for Christmas.
"'Hey, great time,' said the mooch. 'Thanks for having me.'
'No problem. We'll do it all again at Christmas,' Glen promised.
Behind him, Glen's wife, Laura, suddenly envisioned herself
going after her husband with the electric carving knife he's used
earlier on the turkey. 'In your dreams,' she growled..."
Laura works, cares for their two young children, takes care of
the house, and gets the meals on the table. During holiday season she
also has all the seasonal extra work including cooking for and
cleaning before and after the parties Glen is so fond of. For her the
holiday season is the most exhausting time of the year. So when Joy,
frustrated by her husband's Grinch like reaction to the gatherings she
loves so much, announces right after Thanksgiving at knitting club
that she is going on strike for Christmas Laura is quick to sign on.
And she isn't the only one. The strike even becomes a popular ongoing
story in their small town newspaper.
The husbands of the striking women have to take up the slack if
they want to have any kind of Christmas. At first they're all kinds
of optimistic. How hard can it be? As they learn their many mistakes
make the book quite funny. But there also is emotional depth to it
with emotional and relational insights, particularly when a
nonstriking woman faces a medical crisis.
People always ask me which is better if both book and movie are
available. Usually I say the book paws (Tobago and I are sharing the
sofa near the tree) down. When it comes to On Strike for Christmas
I'd say enjoy both. They complement each other beautifully.
On a purrrsonal note, Eugene and I don't have this problem. For one
thing we're happy holiday minimalists. Our paper Christmas card
giving/sending is highly selective. I have no problem with e cards.
And we don't try to include everyone we possibly know. He cuts down a
tree and I decorate it. We don't try to make the whole house look
like a page put of a Martha Stewart Live magazine. He does most of
the gift buying. We do the actual holiday meals with family. I make
the turkey and ham later in the week. The other thing is that, unlike
Joy and Bob, we accept the fact that Eugene is an introvert and I'm
not. If I want to attend an event that's not strictly family (I.e.
multicultural Thanksgiving, my program's Christmas party) I go solo.
That way we both can be happy rather than Eugene resenting me for
dragging him to events he has no interest in or me seeing Eugene as a
jail warden. Remember, marriage doesn't make a couple Siamese twins.
Actually this year Tobago's and my Christmas was like something out of
a Lifetime movie. Tobago was in the Waterville Humane Society
shelter. She's a beautiful, loving girl. She's sleek and black and
looks like a miniature panther with luminescent gold eyes and a white
chest patch. But anxieties triggered by noises and sudden movement
had her in a solo cage as opposed to a cat room and with serious
restrictions as to who could adopt her. I know how to win over
skittish felines. She needed me. I had lost my beloved Joey cat in
August. Although I managed to perform normally at school and work,
for colleagues, friends, and family, grief was becoming a life style.
Feeling sadness on going home, dreading weekends, and having to drag
myself out of bed was getting old after 130+ days. The counselor I
saw said I was fine--just needing a cat. My manager, Anna, spends
more time with me than anyone other than Eugene. She took me on a
road trip to Waterville. We dropped in at the Humane Society to say
hi to the kitties. There were so many lovely cats I was feeling
overwhelmed. Anna said not to worry. When I saw right one I would
know it. Actually Tobago knew it. Even with five other people in the
room she only had eyes for me. She rubbed against my hand through the
bars. When the cage door was opened she grabbed me with her front
paws and wouldn't let go. At home I put Tobaggo in the studio (which
has a nice under bed cat cave) and lay on the bed reading. Skittish
cats need to have control over the meet and greet. Soon she started
demanding attention and purring when I patted her or scratched her
behind the ears. In a matter of hours she was curled up with me. By
Christmas she was venturing into the larger house and bonding with
Eugene. Now she owns her domain. And doesn't she know it. I am
leaping out of bed in the morning, eager to see my sweet girl, and
really enjoying the vaca I'd dreaded. Tobago is a rescue cat, but I
think she rescued me every bit as much as I rescued her.
Great big shout outs go out to sweet Joey cat who was my purrrfect cat
for 16 years, loving and loyal to the very end, Tobago cat who came
into my life when I really needed her, Anna who brokered that sweet
deal, Eugene who responded to our new arrival by stocking up on cat
food and litter, and Leah, my advisor, a new puppy parent BTW, who
will understand that the research I planned on filling a lot of empty
vaca hours with probably won't happen because I am bonding with my
little panther. Also a shout out to you, my readers, with best wishes
for a safe and happy New Years Eve.
I don't really have a resolution. I don't need to resolve to take
good care of Tobago. She's the other half of my heart. What I will
do is continue to work on a better academics/work
/social life balance.
jules hathaway






Sent from my iPod