Okay, so Christmas is rolling around again, and like clockwork, the big question pops up: “What do you want?” And honestly? I don’t know. It’s become a bit of a ritual, this feeling.

I actually sat down the other day, trying to figure it out. You know, make a proper effort. I pulled up a notepad, digital one of course, figured I’d jot down ideas as they came. Nothing. Stared at the blank screen for a good ten minutes. My mind was just… empty on the subject.
So, I started thinking back. What did I need? My socks are getting a bit thin, but asking for socks for Christmas? Feels a bit sad, doesn’t it? I thought about my hobbies. Maybe something for the garden? But I just bought a new trowel thingy back in August. Still shiny. My bookshelf is overflowing, so more books seems like asking for trouble, space-wise.
Then I did what everyone does. I started scrolling. Went through a few online shops, just browsing random categories. Gadgets? Saw some stuff, looked cool for a second, then I thought, “Where would I even put this?” or “Am I really going to use this more than twice?” Mostly, the answer was no. Looked at clothes. Meh. Nothing really jumped out. It all just felt like… more stuff.
Trying a different approach
My wife asked me the other night. “Have you thought about what you want for Christmas?” I just kinda shrugged. “Not really,” I mumbled back. She suggested a few things – a new jacket, maybe that fancy coffee maker we saw. And yeah, they’re nice things, objectively. But do I want them? Enough to ask for them? It didn’t feel right.
I even tried thinking about experiences. A weekend trip? A nice dinner out? That sounded better, definitely less clutter. But then you get into planning, dates, coordinating… it started feeling like homework. The whole point is someone else is supposed to be doing the work, right?

Circling back
So here I am. Still don’t really have an answer. I went through the motions:
- Tried to brainstorm needs.
- Thought about hobbies and wants.
- Scrolled endlessly online.
- Talked it over.
- Considered physical items vs experiences.
And I’ve landed right back where I started. Blank. Maybe the truth is, I don’t actually want anything specific this year. Perhaps just a couple of quiet days, some good food, maybe watch a movie without falling asleep halfway through. That sounds pretty good, actually. Doesn’t really fit in a box, though, does it? Maybe that’s the real answer. Just… a bit of peace. Yeah. I think that’s it.