Coal for Christmas?!?????

[Little Cub Pants]

Did anybody actually ever get coal for Christmas when they were younger? I'm just curious as to whether or not parents actually followed through on that, or just got there naughty kids Christmas gifts anyway. LOL!? That's ALWAYS kind of intrigued me.??????

[Dubious]

A lot of people would be happy to get coal with todays electricity bills.

On-topic, never gotten coal. 

[DailyDi]

Nope. Never gotten coal. I was a good boy. 

[Babygeebee]

1 minute ago, Dubious said:

A lot of people would be happy to get coal with todays electricity bills.

On-topic, never gotten coal. 

I was thinking the same. Some folks don't have electricity this winter. 

 

As to me. Nope. Always good ??

[warpiper]

Santa: "my goodness, why are these blacksmiths being so naughty this time of year?"

[Little Cub Pants]

It does my heart GOOD to know that all of you babies were good little boys and girls for Santa when y'all were younger!????♥️?♥️?????♥️??

[Apache Raccoon]

Nope, never gotten coal for Christmas lol

[Little Cub Pants]

24 minutes ago, Apache Raccoon said:

Nope, never gotten coal for Christmas lol

I knew you NEVER would Ashy, because you've always and will ALWAYS be a VERY good little boy! Just like me!??♥️??????♥️??? Big hugs!?♥️???????

[dlsafrica]

3 hours ago, Dubious said:

A lot of people would be happy to get coal with todays electricity bills.

On-topic, never gotten coal. 

Actually made me laugh. Electricity is ridiculous in South Africa. I hardly use the geyser. It's mostly fan (it's 18 Celsius now and it's unbearable) and fridge. And the increases for the next two years have just been announced... Oh, when we have electricity anyway. We have anything up to ten hours of no electricity right now

[Dubious]

10 minutes ago, dlsafrica said:

Actually made me laugh. Electricity is ridiculous in South Africa. I hardly use the geyser. It's mostly fan (it's 18 Celsius now and it's unbearable) and fridge. And the increases for the next two years have just been announced... Oh, when we have electricity anyway. We have anything up to ten hours of no electricity right now

18 Celsius is the near perfect temperature.
I try to keep it around 20 all year long, but it has been down to 15 without issues

Currently sitting here with 19 Celsius without t-shirt. 

[lil_stinkie]

my family had a tradition, every year besides our usual presents from Santa, we would be given a rotten potato. this happened every year, as a reminder that Santa  can see the all the bad things we have done throughout the year, you know the usual child tantrums, sibling fighting, and whatnot, so its important to be on our best behavior. fortunately we were never bad enough for Santa to think we were undeserving of real presents as well. i had in later life asked my mother why we didn't get coal instead, she responded "because rotten potatoes are cheaper than coal"

[Little Cub Pants]

8 hours ago, lil_stinkie said:

my family had a tradition, every year besides our usual presents from Santa, we would be given a rotten potato. this happened every year, as a reminder that Santa  can see the all the bad things we have done throughout the year, you know the usual child tantrums, sibling fighting, and whatnot, so its important to be on our best behavior. fortunately we were never bad enough for Santa to think we were undeserving of real presents as well. i had in later life asked my mother why we didn't get coal instead, she responded "because rotten potatoes are cheaper than coal"

That's hilarious!???? But I wouldn't want an rotten potato in my stocking either! LOL!???

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Within the last 3 generations in the US, where would you buy such a stocking-stuffer? A better ideawould be to just leave the stocking empty and say that Sandra Clause left a heap of crypto-currency. In the REASON YouTube  cahnnel, one of the big wheels in crypto said "I have created money de novo from nothing". Aside from one being born every minute, who does NOT know that...

 

[Nyte Kitsune]

My grandma, may she rest in peace, did threaten me with coal a few times when I was little, but she never followed through. I was "mostly" a good kid, did get suspended for fighting a few times (honestly, they had it coming to them), and I never "Started" the fights, but I did finish them. I was very protective of my friends.

[Little Cub Pants]

9 minutes ago, Nyte Kitsune said:

My grandma, may she rest in peace, did threaten me with coal a few times when I was little, but she never followed through. I was "mostly" a good kid, did get suspended for fighting a few times (honestly, they had it coming to them), and I never "Started" the fights, but I did finish them. I was very protective of my friends.

Awwwww! That's SO GOOD buddy! What a loyal friend you are. I wish I had you as a friend in school. I think we would have gotten along great with each other!??♥️?♥️??

[~Brian~]

6 minutes ago, Nyte Kitsune said:

My grandma, may she rest in peace, did threaten me with coal a few times when I was little, but she never followed through. I was "mostly" a good kid, did get suspended for fighting a few times (honestly, they had it coming to them), and I never "Started" the fights, but I did finish them. I was very protective of my friends.

@Nyte Kitsune

My parents ended up telling me that regardless of where I am, santa already knows where we're going before they know. this is their way of telling me that Santa will always be there. my parents never threatened me with any coal or anything like that, but they always used to threaten us with spankings or timeouts if we didn't knock it off.

I rarely got into fights in school, usually the fights I would get into would be the ones where we disagree. there was a couple times that there was a couple guys that used to pick on me all the time come in I realized that it was a pain in the ****.

one year, my 4th grade teacher introduced the idea of what we call Secret Santa. Secret Santa basically was when someone decided that they were going to pick one maybe two people in the class and they were going to give them gifts of some sort to show that they care about you. you don't know who the secret Santa is, but you may find something something on your desk every day or maybe in your desk in a particular place, and you would wonder who it was tha....as and hope they have a good one too.

When I was a kid there were two people that were bothering me in class. They would pick on me and laugh at me and stuff like that. One year for Christmas they started getting secret Santa gifts. I would get gifts from them, and then wonder what and who they were, but I always kept this spirit alive. at the end of the second time when I got secret Santa gifts, I had two secrets santa's to thank, and it were the two gentlemen in class that were given me trouble! they not only wish me a merry Christmas they apologized for their conduct and they shook my hand and I said no hard feelings gentlemen, but I want to let you know that sometimes that's the way I deal with stress, so don't be afraid of it. Just understand that that sometimes I blow my stack and emotionally I can't handle it anymore. it's like having kettle of water that's boiling and you over boil it, and sometimes that happens. I never had any problems from any one like that again, and they all respected me because I had the tenacity and the gumption to stand up for what I knew to be right here.

There were two other times when I had to fight: one of them was when I was at Vermont Achievement Center when I was in rehab. The people that wanted me to go there We're trying to entice me and tell me how wonderful the place was. they told me that I had awesome school, i'd be able to meet new friends, i'd be able to play every day on the playground, i'd be able to play at night, I would have ability to play games and watch TV, and it made it sound like an awesome place. and then they ended up throwing the last gauntlet: they told me that there was a full size swimming pool! if I would have known off the bat what the heck that entailed I would have said no right off the bat! they make it sound like it was club med, but I knew exactly what that was like: club med was like being in a hotel, having all this wonderful food, having sunny days, lots of handsome looking guys and cute looking girls, and all of this interesting stuff. you know like what happens when you go on this magic vacation, like James Bond would do in the movies and they would end up finding him in all these girls would be attracted to the bond guys like magnets.

Of course when I got there, I was fully mobile able to do almost everything for myself, because my parents had taught me this. within a couple of weeks I was totally bed bound or wheelchair bound I was totally incontinent unable to do anything for myself, and I was being forest fed things that I would never eat, and I was being forced to do things that I would never want to do, then when I would disagree, then they would end up punishing me. one time I got so mad because they would refuse to serve me food that I would even eat, and they were force feeding me because they were afraid I was going to die or something carmen I was only six years old, and no 6 year old is going to die from now on nutrition because they don't eat eggs and things that they don't like every day.

Then they ended up using things that I was afraid of against me: I was Deathly afraid of the fire alarm! they found out about this and every time that I misbehaved or I didn't do what they wanted to do when they wanted me to do it how fast they wanted me to do it, they would threaten to throw me under there and then And then leave me there out in the hallway. then when I would say that they couldn't do it, they would turn the fire alarm on and leave it on for five minutes. I once told them that this is against fire codes, and the fire department would be all over you for this so you can't use that as a reasonable punishment period even if I was being punished, what am I being punished for! i'm being punished because I don't like the way I've been treated and I don't like the way they run things down there, and I'm being punished because I was lied to and made it sound like this place was so wonderful when it was not?

I'm not saying that all of My 14 weeks of your rehab were terrible, but I also didn't have very good luck in school, and I think that's half the reason why I had to repeat 4th grade twice. I almost had to repeat third grade twice, and not only that but my school changed at the end of the third grade year, I wasn't even there half of the year, so how in the world could I have gone to 4th grade. The school finally relented and let me pass the 4th grade, with the understanding that I would be going to this new school, I would have all of my support systems there, and people would help me, so there'd be nothing to be afraid of. I was told about this about three weeks before the end of the school year, and the first thing they told me was they were going to hold me back, and then the teacher told me he said but this won't be done Be done to you now. you're going to a new school. then I had to say goodbye to all of my friends, and most of them I didn't see until 1988, In high school. I had to repeat 4th grade once in that In that new school, but they helped me to do that, and then they told me that they would help me through most of my other classes as well. I had my time in there, and I fought with myself on a few occasions, i've got in trouble a few times because I'm trying to assert my rights, but I wasn't allowed To be awfully disrespectful, just enough to get people's attention that's all I used.

So when I was at Vermont Achievement Center, I would have to get my dad involved in a lot of this stuff. my dad finally found out exactly what was going on when I was dealing with phone calls, and they threatened me with action if I told my dad what exactly went on. I told them that they can't do that to me, and once my dad finds out what if they were doing, they wouldn't be allowed to do that to anyone. My dad was wondering why they did what they did, and my dad was told why I was being forced and why I was being fed Instead of me eating myself. he told them that there were certain foods that They didn't feed me, and they didn't want me to eat, so they never made it. my dad had to tell them exactly what my favorite foods were, and insisted that they be prepared at least three times a week. that way I had some sort of a selection, and I could make the choice rather than them throwing it in my face, and then when I refused to eat feeding it to me forcefully in a high chair even! then there was the time that they decided that I had done something very wrong! I refused to eat, They told me to leave, that's exactly what I did and I was going out the door down the hall in my wheelchair going back to my room period and they said where are you going: when I told them where I was going, and I told them that I was going to my room, I didn't have any control they took my chair they wound it up to the wall of this hallway, and pushed me as hard as they could and told me to get the heck out of their face! it took all of my strength to be able to slow down my wheelchair and turn it to the left before I slammed into a window A window and a bunch of chairs! luckily I didn't hurt myself I just burned skin. one I got done I started yelling and screaming and I wanted my father there then! I was never so mad in my life!

The second time that I was required to fight was when I was in summer camp: I had a friend of mine named Tony, and Tony wanted my bug off! I gave him some, and then when I gave him some, he left and then an hour later came down and won some more. when I refused to give him some he started beating me in the head and beating me in the face. Then I started having to fight really it's really hard: I punched I kicked I slapped and everything else but he keep beating me in the face punching me left and right. after that I yelled for my roommate once I was able to get enough air, and my roommate came over punched him in the face and threw him on the ground. Then he went to get one of the other counselors at 3 o'clock in the morning, after making sure that someone was with me the entire time period those counselors not only ejected this gentleman from my cabin, but my roommate carried me down to the infirmary, and put me in the bed, and the ironic thing was the nurse on the infirmary was on duty the night that I was attacked comment when she saw my face and the way I looked, she cried because she could have stopped this by placing me in the infirmary in the first place, then no one would have been able to touch me.

Other than that I really haven't had to fight! usually what I can do is I words and my actions and my body language To let people know how I feel or what's on my mind. I rarely have to raise my fists and I rarely have to go after someone! my parents taught me that you should never fight unless you are in a situation where that is the only situation that can be Found in order to solve a problem period when my life or my safety or my comfort are somehow put in put in jeopardy, then my fight reflects has to take over. there is no reason for me to have to fight Physically and less of course there is no way to get through to these people and talk to them. most of the time I'm able to talk To solve problems and how And help people in situations. you only fight when you need to other than that you leave your hands down at your sides and you don't raise your hands to any one period luckily, I never hit a lady, and I never would, Unless of course they end up putting my life in in jeopardy, and then all bets are off!

My parents would threaten me with punishments, and sometimes they would go through with it, sometimes not. the fact remains is that most times I was a good kid. other than the times I've stated above those are the only times I've ever had to fight in my entire life. hopefully, this won't have to happen too many times, the other time I fought for my life was when I had to fight an infection, and in that type of a fight you don't raise your Dukes to be able to fight it, you fight it you your body and your defenses your. you're given medicine to help your defenses to shore up against an invader, but that's a different type of a fight. I am lucky that I am a kind of guy that has been able to deal with many situations, and I've only had to raise my fists a couple of times.

Brian

[Dubious]

Coal from Santa, and soap in mouth  is mostly myths, cause I have never heard about any getting either of them.

[lil_stinkie]

On 12/19/2022 at 7:05 PM, Dubious said:

Coal from Santa, and soap in mouth  is mostly myths, cause I have never heard about any getting either of them.

i did get soap in my mouth as a youngster, i had just learned the b word. you know, the one that means female dog. and apparently i thought it was a good idea to use it in every opportunity i could. i think my parents were unsure of how to punish an otherwise well behaved toddler. it did the trick, i still cant say it without the vivid taste of soap in my mouth.

[Lavellan]

My brother actually got (charcoal) coal one year. My family used to do 1 gift from santa a year with everything else being from everyone else. That year my brother was being pretty bad in school with getting into fights and not doing his work. Keep in mind, we didn't believe in santa at the time but for the sake of the littler kids we still got santa presents. So for his santa present he unwrapped a briquette of charcoal with a little note that said "do better next year". 

He still got other presents of course. It was more for the little kids to warn them about misbehaving. 

As for soap in the mouth, I did witness a kid in my after school babysitting group who had to do that. Someone in the group snitched he was cursing on the bus and our babysitter made him sit at the snack table with a bar of soap in his mouth!

[Crinklz Kat]

[AbabeBill]

I myself never got coal for Christmas. I was an Angel ? ?

But my favorite family story, is about my uncle getting coal. It was around 1949? He was about 7 years old, and my uncle, even then was somewhat difficult. Not really bad, but being a tremendous clown, difficult. So, on this particular Christmas, he jumped out of bed, to find nothing underneath the tree for him. My grandmother told him, check your stocking! Yep, full of coal! ? My grandmother then said to him, hey maybe Santa left something downstairs with your grandmother? When he ran downstairs, to her house, there was another stocking, and full of coal there too. ?? They took pity on him then ? and told him, I bet you have something over by your aunts house (she was also his God parent). He gets over there, and sure enough, stocking full of coal! ??? When he saw that, nothing but coal, 3 times, he said out loud, THAT FUCKING SANTA CLAUSE!!! All my relatives present there, were dying, and wanted to LOL. And they ignored, the terrific, tormented, profane, outburst, and broke out with all my uncle’s real gifts. I think, he even overlooked the torment they put him through. I have to wonder, where a 7 year old boy, would have heard language like that? ??? ?? 
 

[Little Cub Pants]

3 hours ago, AbabeBill said:

I myself never got coal for Christmas. I was an Angel ? ?

But my favorite family story, is about my uncle getting coal. It was around 1949? He was about 7 years old, and my uncle, even then was somewhat difficult. Not really bad, but being a tremendous clown, difficult. So, on this particular Christmas, he jumped out of bed, to find nothing underneath the tree for him. My grandmother told him, check your stocking! Yep, full of coal! ? My grandmother then said to him, hey maybe Santa left something downstairs with your grandmother? When he ran downstairs, to her house, there was another stocking, and full of coal there too. ?? They took pity on him then ? and told him, I bet you have something over by your aunts house (she was also his God parent). He gets over there, and sure enough, stocking full of coal! ??? When he saw that, nothing but coal, 3 times, he said out loud, THAT FUCKING SANTA CLAUSE!!! All my relatives present there, were dying, and wanted to LOL. And they ignored, the terrific, tormented, profane, outburst, and broke out with all my uncle’s real gifts. I think, he even overlooked the torment they put him through. I have to wonder, where a 7 year old boy, would have heard language like that? ??? ?? 
 

Awwwww! I feel sorry for him. I'm glad they finally ended up giving him his real presents. But part of me thinks that that was a little bit too cruel to do to a seven year old. I sure hope someone gave him a big hug after that, cuz I DEFINITELY would have!?♥️

[rusty pins]

Hey, with gas and oil prices as they are, many people might be happy to get a quantity of coal!

[Cute_Kitten]

I never got coal for Christmas, but I've had to put soap in my mouth as a kid when I discovered the word "fuck" and how wonderful it paired with "no" for the ultimate in childhood stubborness and refusal. "Fuck no!"  ?  

Unfortunately for my grandma, it back fired big time. I found with enough slobber you can blow bubbles! ? And I had a new past time!! I was rather partial to the original green Irish Spring soap. 

[rusty pins]

Just don't me like Ralphie's mom if you say, "Oh Fuck" or she may use Lifebuoy and then you'll go blind.