It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But Christmas, I'm beginning to feel, is the most 'head-hurt-you' time of any year. Think about it for a minute. There's always something to make your head swim. Let's start with mother nature and the drop in temperature, plus the blooms that come out. They can affect the sinuses and cause, among other things, headaches. And parents have headaches trying to decide what to do with the children who are on a break from school.

Then of course, the wife or girlfriend will expect (and she has every right) an extra-special gift, not necessarily diamond-encrusted necklaces and all that jazz, but something more than the usual. Picking your brain to come up with a great gift, while remembering that January's pay cheque won't be coming any time soon, will give you grey hair.

Driving and traffic

Then there's the driving and traffic. If it's one time of year when almost everybody is on the road, it's now. The handcart man selling stuff, the packed buses and the police patrolling, all make the roadways very congested and all the individuals involved in Christmas trade are worrying about something. Shoppers worry if they'll get some good deals (or get their pockets picked), motorists worry if they'll find parking spaces, police worry about robberies and potential shoot-outs, and, of course, the vendors worry whether they'll make a sale.

The party planners are always agonising over the last details of their New Year's Eve parties. You ever realise that such events always give you more problems the closer they get? And those who don't have anybody (no lover, no companion), worry about spending another Christmas all alone.

And those with too many lovers, are wondering how they will manage them all. Well-off husbands worry about what the credit card bill will look like once the wife and her friends, sisters, etc. get through their shopping.

Extra headaches

And, this year, we have some extra headaches. This whole recession business and all that comes with it (lay-offs, no bonuses and pay cuts), drought (when are we going to get some rain?) and the continued killings across the island (not just Kingston anymore), have all left some of us a little dazed. Throw in the worries of climate change and you've got a real blood vessel-popping, heart rate-increasing, morale-dropping Yuletide season.

Still, there are many things for which we can be grateful. No hurricanes, the parties are still fun and we don't have snow. So, for all the stuff that causes you migraines, think on the positives, take out the painkillers and remember, it's all part of the season.

If you need an aspirin, check me at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com