Comments on: A Hobligatory Post

By: East Coast Surfer

East Coast Surfer — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:54:03 +0000

I am hobligated to appreciate all that my wife does during the holidays even though I think she would be much happier if she didn’t feel quite so hobligated to make everyone happy, attend every gathering and bend over backwards to make every day a good one…

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:23:46 +0000

I was feeling very Grinchly yesterday afternoon as I was trying to leave work early yesterday for the annual hobligation of dragging young musicians around to assisted living facilites to share the sounds of the season and pass out homemade cookies to the residents. This followed by a very social dinner at a bar starting around 9 pm. By the end of the day I had decided that this activity borders on child abuse for the sake of (some of) their parents. On a school night to boot.

But, as the evening began and song sheets were passed out and the children tuned their instruments, a thawing began. By the end of the evening, I was proud and enjoying singing with the residents who were clapping, ringing bells and singing even after the music stopped (sometimes not even the right song). The kids passed out homemade cookes (not made by my Grinchly self), and we chatted with the residents about their children and children’s children. The kids were polite and enjoyed dressing up for the occasion. As they say, my heart grew three sizes that day. We skipped the dinner.

I have a feeling the Grinch will reappear next week as I’m packing to board a plane Christmas eve to go to somewhere snowier and colder to share a house with 16 of my husband’s familly members for five days! I’m also pretty sure I’ll end up being glad that I did.

By: Jessie

Jessie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:44:57 +0000

I am hobligated to go to my husband’s company holiday party. This year’s theme is bowling. Bowling with engineers…can you say pass the eggnog?

By: Gale

Gale — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:26:34 +0000

I am hobligated to throw our annual Christmas holiday party. When we were first married and had no children it was a lot of fun. Now throwing a cocktail party for 50 people the weekend before Christmas. I am also hobligated to make all the food from scratch because it’s what I’ve always done and can’t bring myself to lower the bar.

By: RuthWells

RuthWells — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:09:28 +0000

This is a constant struggle for me, because most of the stuff I’m hobligated to do it stuff I’ve created myself. Like our annual open house for 80 or so friends, which we cater entirely ourselves. Each year we consider not having it, and every year after the fact we realize how glad we are that we did it.

Next year, though, I may use kidney failure as my get-out-of-entertaining-free card. The prep is killing me this year.

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:29:24 +0000

You said it! I am hobligated to bake. I don’t bake. I buy, not bake. And yet, the cookies are coming out of the oven. That along with the stop-by’s, gift cards for people I barely know, etc… On a positive note, all in all I do find it fun and a great time of year so I don’t mind as much. Happy Hanukah!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:46:31 +0000

I was hobligated to spend $2,000 that I don’t have on three plane tickets to Mexico.