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Home > The Annual Christmas Letter, orThe Written Bragfest

The Annual Christmas Letter, orThe Written Bragfest

December 10th, 2010 at 01:53 am

It arrived yesterday in our mailbox - the annual Christmas letter from this fellow we know. Each year he puts in detail what he has bought and in great detail. Last year's letter was all the stuff he bought for his house and where he traveled and how much he spent. Forgive me, but who needs tumbled marble tiles in his crawl space?

This year's brag was 3 ties for $625. Apparently they are like the ties Donald Trump wears.

Apparently this person has money to spend like this, but I personally would prefer to be ignorant of it.

His whole letter is about him, what he did, and what he spent. It's sad in a way that he has to brag each year what he did and bought.

I used to feel sorry for him, but I've since decided he likes living the way he does because he can buy whatever he wants. He fills his loneliness with things and then presses us with the details.

I would rather find satisfaction in what I have and the people who love me.

Needless to say, I won't be sending an annual Christmas letter to anyone.

11 Responses to “The Annual Christmas Letter, orThe Written Bragfest”

  1. MonkeyMama Says:
    1291949868

    Interesting...

    Honestly, I wouldn't assume he even has the money to spend.

    On a local forum I belong to, many people show all their pictures of everything they bought Christmas day and every new car they buy. Okay, so the car is a big purchase, and all your friends and neighbors will see and ooh and aaah. I suppose it isn't quite as tacky to share with your online friends. But I always think the "Look at everything I bought for Christmas" posts are very tacky.

    Needless to say, I will never be posting pictures of my stuff to ooooh and aaaaaaah over. Wink Here? Maybe because it's a forum about money. But anywhere else? Um, No? Here would be in a "look at the great deal I got" kind of way.

  2. Petunia 100 Says:
    1291949964

    Telling your friends or family what you did or where you went is one thing, but telling how much you paid for your ties? How unbelievably tacky. Your friend must be either very insecure or very shallow.

  3. buddy Says:
    1291951354

    I have an aquaintance who writes about her vacations and "experiences" over the year. Bragging is bragging...I'd rather know that she was quietly involved in something that contributes to other people instead of hearing the list of accomplishments.

  4. baselle Says:
    1291958220

    I've found the Christmas letter kind of repellent, and usually chock full of my pet peeves. The haul list is number one, the bucket list of doings is another, along with the list of "relative x gave us child y". Gave? Gave? The poor girl underwent labor for perhaps many hours. There was no giving here.

    Apologies, for venting. Big Grin

  5. whitestripe Says:
    1291959793

    Hmmm. I have never experienced this 'christmas letter' that you speak of. But it sounds tacky all over. I post birthday present hauls on my blog because I also post what I give to other people... but wow, would never write to someone in that much detail! Does he realise you really don't care how much his ties cost?

    If it were me, I'd probably write one back on my own terms, and (I don't know about you, but mine?) it would go something like this:
    'DF bought three ties from an op-shop for 50c each. We made $XXXXX.XX extra payments on our mortgage this year. I get especially excited when our favourite organic brand of espresso ground coffee goes on sale for less than $7 a pack. We had takeaway one night three weeks ago, it cost $20.50. We hire dvd's sometimes - on cheap Tuesday. They're $1 each. Sometimes we go a little crazy and hire them on Sundays, when they're $2 a night... but there's a bit more choice!'

    Big Grin (btw, I was being slightly sarcastic... though those things ARE kind of important to me, I'd never bore someone with the details. Except on here...)

    Why not write him a letter about the things that are important to YOU? heh heh...

  6. Aleta Says:
    1291995530

    Forget about the holiday letter. How about the ones who tell you all year long (every time you see and talk to them). Or what their children bought for them or what they bought for their children and grandchildren!

    Maybe, (Ha Ha) you should send a letter just out to this guy and say that your family was really blessed this year and won a ??$ lottery and that you just bought this fabulous house, 4 new cars, and all of the vacations you've just gone to, etc. Then, say, oh by the way this was supposed to be my April fool's day joke but thought that all would love a good surprise. I actually have a close relative that does this even though they really aren't rich and their kids are just the same. No one wants to be around them. They live rich but don't know they're not rich. Not that you would do this but isn't it tempting to send a letter like that?

  7. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1292000413

    I like the catch-up-on-our-lives letters that we get. But I've never gotten anything like you describe. Zowie! Um, did he really put marble tiles in a crawl space? Now that is a curiosity. Would make me wonder if he has all his marbles?

  8. Ima saver Says:
    1292009414

    I had a cousin who sent a letter like that every christmas. It was always about all the places that he went to in his private plane and all the exotic things that he did. He rarely mentioned his wife who stayed home during all his travels.

  9. Jerry Says:
    1292022953

    Wow... the guy sounds like a piece of work. Congrats on those Trump ties. How much will he pay to get the Trump hairdo, I wonder?
    Jerry

  10. rob62521 Says:
    1292030903

    Well, this person really isn't a friend. We know him from church and as much as we try to be nice and kind, he's not the type of person we would hang out with. He worked construction before he retired and we think his parents must have left him a ton of money. Yes, he put marble tiles in his crawl space and that was after also tiling his garage floor. He had his driveway painted and refused to park on it so he didn't mess it up, so he parked his two cars across the street annoying the neighbor -- no curbs since this is rural Illinois. His whole life is wrapped up in himself -- what he does, what he buys, etc. At some point I pity him because I know he's lonely, but when people have tried to help him with social skills, he refuses help and becomes irate. He asked me to find a gal for him to date and when I found a nice lady, he informed me she was too old ... he was 62 and she was 48...he told me he wanted someone in their late 20s. Maybe he'll need that Trump hairdo at one point.

    I teased my husband that I wanted to write a rebuttal and he said "Don't you dare!"

    We are now going to another church and I hate to say this, it is a relief not to see this fellow each week. He was calling us as well. We dreaded it when the phone rang. He has no desire to change -- he wants to spend his money on himself. Period. And be the center of attention, I guess.

  11. Looking Forward Says:
    1292735054

    Yuck! Never seen a letter like this one, nor had anyone brag about gift/stuff they buy.
    I DO enjoy letters or notes from family and friends about their activities and events of the past year.

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