Are you looking forward to Christmas ?

At age 52, raised an only child from a traditional Rural Irish Catholic (Vatican II) background, (which can bring its own problems), ex-gay man, later-in-life diagnosis of Autism, 30 years previous experience in supermarket retailing (now working in a hotel for just under a year), currently living in the U.K. 20 years, I’ve always disliked social events and parties, perhaps because parents were non-drinkers due to Catholic social teachings and thier own mental health issues and being encouraged earlier on to live alone, I turned back to the Catholic faith of my grandparents generation 15 years ago and it has been a real help, especially during Covid and lockdowns, as I’m also an Irish patriot - I taught myself to pray the Rosary in Latin and I attend the traditional Latin Mass where possible - I’ve come to realise that many of the struggles and trials I’ve had even before Covid and before my diagnosis has been greatly helped by my religious faith, as my interior prayer life has strengthened as has my faith that has carried me through - our Irish-owned hotel workplace here in the U.K. does have a lot of social events for staff and guests alike, but I’m very controlled in my use of alcohol - all my extended family live in Ireland just outside Dublin and I have one or two family members who had vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life (Nuns) whom I visit the most, as these are the only two who truly understand my condition and the only ones that can be reasoned with and can have any sensible, reasonable conversations with, all the rest simply refuse to understand, telling me to “cop myself on” and “grow up” even after my diagnosis - some even believe and maintain that I should not be living/travelling alone and that the only way to manage my condition is via ultra strict “parental” style discipline as they maintain that I “do not understand that I’m wrong” on every issue and must not attempt to form, have nor express any opinion on anything as it is deemed (by them) on a “common sense” basis that “I don’t know anything about anything” and have “got the wrong end of the stick” - in (silent - for obvious reasons) the concept of “offering it up” and of learning to “pray for such people, in charity” has been a most useful tactic 

At age 52, raised an only child from a traditional Rural Irish Catholic (Vatican II) background, (which can bring its own problems), ex-gay man, later-in-life diagnosis of Autism, 30 years previous experience in supermarket retailing (now working in a hotel for just under a year), currently living in the U.K. 20 years, I’ve always disliked social events and parties, perhaps because parents were non-drinkers due to Catholic social teachings and thier own mental health issues and being encouraged earlier on to live alone, I turned back to the Catholic faith of my grandparents generation 15 years ago and it has been a real help, especially during Covid and lockdowns, as I’m also an Irish patriot - I taught myself to pray the Rosary in Latin and I attend the traditional Latin Mass where possible - I’ve come to realise that many of the struggles and trials I’ve had even before Covid and before my diagnosis has been greatly helped by my religious faith, as my interior prayer life has strengthened as has my faith that has carried me through - our Irish-owned hotel workplace here in the U.K. does have a lot of social events for staff and guests alike, but I’m very controlled in my use of alcohol - all my extended family live in Ireland just outside Dublin and I have one or two family members who had vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life (Nuns) whom I visit the most, as these are the only two who truly understand my condition and the only ones that can be reasoned with and can have any sensible, reasonable conversations with, all the rest simply refuse to understand, telling me to “cop myself on” and “grow up” even after my diagnosis - some even believe and maintain that I should not be living/travelling alone and that the only way to manage my condition is via ultra strict “parental” style discipline as they maintain that I “do not understand that I’m wrong” on every issue and must not attempt to form, have nor express any opinion on anything as it is deemed (by them) on a “common sense” basis that “I don’t know anything about anything” and have “got the wrong end of the stick” - in (silent - for obvious reasons) the concept of “offering it up” and of learning to “pray for such people, in charity” has been a most useful tactic