24th December - The WORST Christmas Dinner I Ever Ate



My life has changed quite significantly in the past decade, or even half-decade. Growing up, a traditional Christmas roast wasn't always a given. In 2010, I returned home from University for the holidays and was met by my Mother's meal of Instant 'Smash!' potato in a jug, with a can of cold baked beans poured on top on Xmas Day. I'd probably have enjoyed a more sufficient dinner in my Uni digs, and that is really saying something, considering how we spent the majority of the year living off £1 pizzas from Iceland, or packets of 8p Tesco Value Super Noodles. Despite that, 2010 was nowhere near as bad as the dinner I put myself through in 2016.





For those who know what happened in my life in 2013, they'll understand that I never really enjoyed a Christmas again after that. I worked on Christmas Day in 2014 and 2015, at the Daily Telegraph offices in central London, and put my name down to do so again in 2016. When my boss called a week before to say I wasn't needed on that day and that I could have it off, I let out a huge internal groan. I hated Christmas, and wanted to do whatever I could to keep my mind busy on the day itself and shy away from my trauma, and how the day made me feel. My then-flatmate, Sam, with whom I shared a pad in Ealing, insisted I travel to his parents' home for Xmas Day with him (rather kindly), but I knew I'd be terrible company and didn't want to explain my pain to his household or inject my negative emotion on their day.




I lied to him and said I'd be working after all. But instead, sat at home alone watching old re-runs of the Star Wars movies all day. By about 4pm, I'd started to feel a bit hungry and noticed that there was a dodgy fried chicken joint in Fulham which was showing as open on JustEat, and willing to deliver. I placed an order with them, but 3 hours later, the food had still not arrived. I chased them time and time again, calling and checking the progress of the order. When it finally arrived, it was cold, limp, fatty, and full of gristle. These days, my life has changed and as I sit typing this, there's candles and a fire burning around me. A soft-coated puppy is asleep next to me, and my Wife-to-be is in the Kitchen, prepping veg for tomorrow and singing along to her favourite songs. Life is better than it once was...




... And for that reason, I feel grateful.



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