Unleashing Holiday Surprises: Your Guide to Unexpected Online Festivities!

It’s not every day that I engage with online phenomena, games, or communities, but when a previous neighbor challenged me to join his Facebook-centric “Whamageddon” contest, I resolved to participate.

Here’s the premise: The goal of the game was to dodge hearing the track “Last Christmas” by the British pop duo Wham! The game commenced on December 1 and ran until midnight on December 24. Other renditions of the song were allowed — only the original by Wham! would eliminate participants, who were deemed “out” the moment they acknowledged that they were listening to the song. Participants who did hear the tune were encouraged to share on social media with the #whamageddon tag about how, when, and where they were eliminated from the game.

It appeared to be an enjoyable experience, with some of the 201 members in the group quickly posting about their concerns of encountering the song or which family member thwarted their attempts. It was spirited, entertaining, and delightful.

I never anticipated that I would last the entire duration of the event. With Christmas shopping, listening to the radio in my vehicle, and spending quality time with friends and family during holiday gatherings, I was convinced it wouldn’t be long before I got “Whammed!”

Remarkably, that was not the outcome. Not only did I make it all the way to Christmas, but I had yet to hear the Wham! version of the song until this past week (although my brother did sing it while we were driving to Columbus together one day).

While assisting my husband, Mike, as he prepared to perform his magic show for the St. Clairsville Sunrise Rotary’s “Noon Year’s Eve” event for children early Tuesday morning, I ultimately heard the song through the sound system at the Ohio Valley Mall.

I genuinely felt pleased to finally hear it, as it is an infectious melody and evokes memories of my junior high and high school days and the friends I shared those moments with.

Thus, a big thanks to Joe Schmitt for orchestrating the “worst Christmas game ever devised” and inviting me to take part. It was a blast, and I hope everyone involved found it as enjoyable as I did.

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As we look forward to the upcoming year, it’s customary for us to reflect on ourselves and our circumstances and contemplate ways to enhance our lives. I seldom make resolutions, and according to what I’ve gathered, they typically don’t endure for long for the majority.

However, if you feel inclined to commit to some form of change, experts we’ve consulted recently suggest that there are strategies to increase the chances of following through.

They recommend establishing realistic, attainable objectives that can actually be achieved, rather than ambitious ones that may quickly lead to frustration. They also advocate for taking small steps towards your goals, instead of seeking immediate accomplishment. For instance, aim to exercise three times a week; that’s considerably more manageable than pledging to engage in two-hour sessions daily.

Finally, allow yourself some flexibility for growth. If you miss a day, revisit it the next. No one is evaluating you except for yourself, so simply do your utmost.