Ask HN: What do you want for Christmas?
An affordable home to raise 2-3 kids in with space to enjoy the outdoors that isn’t an hour or more from my job.
A job that pays well, has good benefits and health insurance, that doesn’t make me work nights, early mornings, holidays, snow days, or weekends, so I can have that priceless time with my family.
Normal desires that are increasingly becoming the privilege of the landed elite.
Wanting to be given things for Christmas is a little silly when you're an adult, I think. I anticipate my parents will buy me the clothing I never bother to buy for myself because I just couldn't care less about clothes.
I'm pretty weird about gifts though I guess. I feel like the concept of giving gifts on certain days is largely a product of cultural manipulation by the wider corporate sphere, so I just don't ever feel obligated, and make it clear to others that they not feel obligated, to give gifts on Christmas or birthdays. I buy gifts for people when they need something and won't or can't buy it themselves regardless of the time of year. Or sometimes just if I know they'll like it. I'm privileged enough to have more money than I need, so I don't really need or expect others to buy me anything.
I almost decided to preface this with "for those of you who can just buy what you want..."
One of the benefits of being old is you get to indulge yourself and buy your presents early, so I got an N scale train set. Now I'm figuring how to fit a layout table into my room somehow and planning an arduino based control panel for 2 or 3 simultaneous running lines.
The cats find it far more entertaining than Factorio.
Mac Mini Pro and 27” 5k standalone VESA mount Apple monitor.
I literally have a stack of cash here waiting for that to exist.
Purpose
Wise answer. I know how you can get a meaningful life, even one that is not wasted.
You should become a man of God. He redeems even the most wretched of men for himself and prepares them for everlasting life with him, but usually also uses them in this life somehow.
The redemption is based on the ancient law thereof. No man is able to redeem his brother from the power of sin and death, as all mankind was sold under sin. Therefore God became our Redeemer when he was born as a man, which is still celebrated every Christmas. Moreover he has already redeemed mankind by laying down his life, which is still commemorated every passover. You just surrender to Jesus, and he takes care of the rest.
However a meaningful life won't be easy, but you might find that the alternatives aren't any better.
Nothing. I have way too much stuff and don't need more!
Truly enjoyable recreation and downtime.
Less stuff and more sleep.