COLLIDE PRESS

COLLIDE PRESS

Share this post

COLLIDE PRESS
COLLIDE PRESS
My "Home For The Holidays" Tradition
May contain explicit content
This post was automatically hidden by your content settings.
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
User's avatar
Discover more from COLLIDE PRESS
Hi, I’m Clint Collide, a gay creator-curator who celebrates Past, Present, and Pride with a motley mix of Men, Merch, Montages, and More. I’m here to celebrate…not debate or hate. If you “color” outside the lines too, welcome to the crew, boo!
Over 2,000 subscribers
Already have an account? Sign in
Blog + Newsletter

My "Home For The Holidays" Tradition

Movies + Naps + Nostalgia = My Kinda Thanksgiving

Clint Collide's avatar
Clint Collide
Nov 28, 2024
5

Share this post

COLLIDE PRESS
COLLIDE PRESS
My "Home For The Holidays" Tradition
May contain explicit content
This post was automatically hidden by your content settings.
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
6
1
Share
1×
0:00
-3:12
Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade.

The holiday season can be the best of times—or the worst. It rarely falls anywhere in the middle. Between the relentless pressure to “have fun” and the constant stream of picture-perfect family ads, it often feels like the season is less about joy and more about meeting unrealistic expectations.

For me, a new tradition began in 1995, during a Thanksgiving that was anything but traditional. That morning, I was working an event in another city and caught a flight home that landed too late to make it to the big family gathering, an hour’s drive from the airport.

If I’m being honest, after years of enduring my family’s endless bickering and battling over turkey and dressing—most Southerners don’t do stuffing, y’all—I felt more than a little relief to have a legitimate excuse to skip the festivities.

Instead, I reached out to a friend who worked at the airport, and we decided to salvage the evening by catching dinner and a movie after he got off work.

We chose Home for the Holidays—directed by Jodie Foster and starring Holly Hunter. The film chronicles a chaotic family Thanksgiving—full of dysfunction, fun, and love.

The film also co-stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tommy, the gay brother and black sheep of the family. At the time, I wasn’t exactly “out” to my extended family—but I wasn’t exactly “in” either. I was my family’s Tommy: amusing, annoying, and unpredictable.

Looking back, I’m pretty sure they were just as relieved by my absence as I was.

That night, in the glow of the theater, I decided to embrace a new holiday tradition—one that felt more authentic, more joyful, and entirely my own.

MAKING MY OWN TRADITION

So since 1995—with only a handful of exceptions—I’ve spent my holidays immersed in films about other people’s festive chaos. From the comedic ups and downs of Home for the Holidays to the magical nostalgia of It’s a Wonderful Life and newer gems like The Family Stone, these stories have become the “main dish” of my holiday feast.

Instead of turkey and dressing with extended family, I opt for frozen turkey pot pies—delicious, filling, and perfect for my “homo alono” tendencies.

Wrapped in cozy blankets, I settle into the couch and lose myself in a mix of movies, naps, and nostalgia, crafting my kind of holiday celebration.

CHECKING IN + CONNECTING

For those concerned about my “homo alono” tendencies, rest assured—I don’t skip out on family and friends entirely. Between movies and naps, I stay connected through calls, emails, and texts.

Sharing laughs and swapping memories from afar keeps the season feeling familiar while giving me the freedom to celebrate on my own terms.

My not-so-new holiday tradition has taught me something valuable: the holidays aren’t defined by where you are or even who you’re with. They’re about creating moments of joy, however and wherever you can find—or make—them.

For me, the holidays are less about chasing perfection and more about finding gratitude and showing love—starting with myself. Cheers to celebrating in ways that feel true to you, whether it’s through films, food, or heartfelt conversations.

Thanks for reading and subscribing!
Clint


NEWS + VIEWS

  • How Is Adam Lambert In Cabaret? (MickeyJoTheatre) 📺

  • Lee Greenwood (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) 📺

  • Australia Passes Social Media Ban For Under 16 (US News & World Report)

  • The Same US Copyright Office Decision that Struck Down a Major Game Preservation Effort Also Quietly Reversed a Historic DMCA Win for Accessibility Advocates (GamesRadar+)


ON THIS DAY = NOVEMBER 28

BIRTHDAYS

  • 1632 = Jean-Baptiste Lully = Italian-born French composer 🌈

  • 1757 = William Blake = English poet and painter

  • 1891 = Mabel Alvarez = American painter

  • 1920 = Luchita Hurtado = Venezuelan-American artist and activist 🌈

  • 1929 = Berry Gordy = American songwriter, producer, and Motown founder

  • 1933 = Hope Lange = American actor

  • 1943 = Randy Newman = American singer-songwriter and composer

  • 1946 = Joe Dante = American director and producer

  • 1944 = Rita Mae Brown = American writer and activist 🌈

  • 1949 = Paul Shaffer = Canadian-American musician and bandleader

  • 1950 = Ed Harris = American actor and producer

  • 1952 = S. Epatha Merkerson = American actor

  • 1959 = Judd Nelson = American actor and screenwriter

  • 1961 = Alfonso Cuarón = Mexican filmmaker

  • 1962 = Jon Stewart = American comedian and tv host

  • 1966 = Garcelle Beauvais = Haitian-American actor

  • 1967 = Anna Nicole Smith = American model and tv personality

  • 1970 = Julie Mehretu = Ethiopian-American artist 🌈

  • 1976 = Ryan Kwanten = Australian actor

  • 1982 = Alan Ritchson = American actor, model, singer, and songwriter

  • 1983 – Rostam Batmanglij = American musician and songwriter

  • 1988 = Joe Cole = English actor

CELEBRATIONS

  • Movember (November 1-30)

  • National French Toast Day (US)

  • Thanksgiving (US)

EVENTS

  • 1811 = Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, premieres at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.

  • 1814 = The Times of London becomes the first newspaper to be produced on a steam-powered printing press, built by the German team of Koenig & Bauer.

  • 1895 = The Chicago Times-Herald race, the first auto race in the U.S., is held.

  • 1919 = Lady Astor is elected as a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. She is the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.

  • 1925 = The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting as the WSM Barn Dance.

  • 1942 = In Boston, a fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub kills 492 people.

  • 1944 = Meet Me in St. Louis premieres at New York's Astor Theatre.

  • 1975 = As the World Turns and The Edge of Night, the final two American soap operas that had resisted going to pre-taped broadcasts, air their last live episodes.

  • 1988 = Texas State District Judge Jack Hampton sentences the killer of two gay men to 30 years in prison instead of a life sentence because, as he later tells the Dallas Times Herald, “I don’t much care for queers cruising the streets.” The Dallas Gay Alliance joins political leaders across the country in protesting the judge’s decision.

  • 1990 = British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigns.

  • 1998 = In Allston, Massachusetts, Rita Hester is murdered. The ensuing candlelight vigil a few days later was attended by 250 people and inspired the Transgender Day of Remembrance, observed each Nov 20 worldwide.


PHOTO + QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I once had dinner with Madonna and I wasn't nervous but within about a minute I found myself talking about underwear.”
Randy Newman

NEW + FEATURED

Nightswimming (NSFW)

Clint Collide
·
November 26, 2024
Nightswimming (NSFW)

Read full story

MORE FROM COLLIDE PRESS
Ko-Fi + Linktree + Shop + Storefront + YouTube


Subscribe to COLLIDE PRESS

By Clint Collide · Hundreds of paid subscribers
Hi, I’m Clint Collide, a gay creator-curator who celebrates Past, Present, and Pride with a motley mix of Men, Merch, Montages, and More. I’m here to celebrate…not debate or hate. If you “color” outside the lines too, welcome to the crew, boo!
D. C. Wilkinson's avatar
Mark Edward Randall's avatar
Larry LeBlanc's avatar
Mr. Troy Ford's avatar
5 Likes∙
1 Restack
5

Share this post

COLLIDE PRESS
COLLIDE PRESS
My "Home For The Holidays" Tradition
May contain explicit content
This post was automatically hidden by your content settings.
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
6
1
Share

Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Sam L. Archer's avatar
Sam L. Archer
Nov 29

Indeed, love yourself; then you can love your neighbor.

(Avoid toxic kin; love those supportive.)

Expand full comment
Like (1)
Reply
Share
1 reply by Clint Collide
Mr. Troy Ford's avatar
Mr. Troy Ford
Nov 28

Turkey pot pie and movies sounds like a dream - enjoy Clint! 🧡🍂❤️

Expand full comment
Like (1)
Reply
Share
3 replies by Clint Collide and others
4 more comments...
Man Crushes In Color (NSFW)
Found Photos + Video
Dec 5, 2024 • 
Clint Collide
59

Share this post

COLLIDE PRESS
COLLIDE PRESS
Man Crushes In Color (NSFW)
May contain explicit content
This post was automatically hidden by your content settings.
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
29
12:44
Always A Pleasure #1 (NSFW)
Video + Vintage Photos
Apr 7 • 
Clint Collide
58

Share this post

COLLIDE PRESS
COLLIDE PRESS
Always A Pleasure #1 (NSFW)
May contain explicit content
This post was automatically hidden by your content settings.
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
24
10:14
Nightswimming (NSFW)
Video + Vintage Photos
Nov 26, 2024 • 
Clint Collide
58

Share this post

COLLIDE PRESS
COLLIDE PRESS
Nightswimming (NSFW)
May contain explicit content
This post was automatically hidden by your content settings.
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
9
13:31

Ready for more?

© 2025 Clint Collide
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Create your profile

User's avatar

Only paid subscribers can comment on this post

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Check your email

For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.

Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.