A long post...but interesting story.
A close friend of mine had her birthday celebration a couple of weekends ago, and I was ecstatic at the genuine opportunity to u-n-w-i-n-d. This was a house party I could attend guilt-free because I had to be there. We've been friends since we were teenage undergraduates, and I had no reservations about the fact that she would shove myself and my PhD papers out the window if I didn't turn up. It's bad enough that I see her about once in 2 or 3 weeks despite living in the same town and three streets away from my residence. Such is the life of a research student & the busy workaholic that she is (I won't take the blame alone). 
The second reason I was very happy to go shake-a-tail-feather ("dance" just in case Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory is reading this) was that I had just emerged from an uplifting meeting with my supervisor. He was happy with what I had turned in for him to review - he thought I was finally getting the language of thesis (academic) writing right, simple, clear and succint - the way it should be. Of course, there were corrections and additions I needed to make to my work, but - Bingo! Party time!.
I headed to the city centre to seek out an outfit befitting of a research student's pocket - interpret that as you wish, i'm afraid i'm not willing to help you clarify. Two dresses caught my eye, both were black and goldy-brown. Since I couldn't make up my mind, I took both to the fitting room for the jury to decide. That's where I heard THE SONG. Here is an extract from the lyrics:
It’s the most beautiful time of the year
Lights fill the streets spreading so much cheer
I should be playing in the winter snow
But I'mma be under the mistletoeI don’t wanna miss out on the holiday
But I can’t stop staring at your face
I should be playing in the winter snow
But I’mma be under the mistletoeWith you, shawty with you
With you, shawty with you
With you under the mistletoe
The dress in which I could best step to this song made it to the payment counter, that was the decision of the jury. Also, I hell-bent on finding out who the artiste was, not because I wanted to buy the track on iTunes, more like listen-back on YouTube. The beat was beautiful. It was beautiful and enchanting on till the lady at the till told me it was a JUSTIN BIERBER song - I nearly choked! I had just liked a song by Justin Bieber! (insert multiple exclamation marks & a horror face). "Hello, juvenile :)" I said to myself, stomping myself on the foot in the process.
Anyway, the morale of my tale is that when I heard the lines:
I don’t wanna miss out on the holiday
But I can’t stop staring at your face
I realised what my subconscious wanted to find under the mistletoe, a complete CHAPTER. I really don't wanna miss out on the holidays, but I can't stop staring at the piles of notes, books, and drafts waiting for my touch to convert them into a chapter.
Dear Santa (cc the elves, fairy godmothers etc) , I don't know if you are into thesis-writing. I am also not sure if i'm still within the age bracket to call on you. Does this fact that I liked Bieber's song indicate that my childish ways are still with me and I may still qualify? In any case, if you have a christmasy-thing for research, and are wondering what to keep under my mistletoe, make is a complete CHAPTER 2.
Yours Sincerely
T
P.S. Merry Christmas!
Photo-Credit: Creative Commons Flickr
Source:
http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/researchexchange/entry/all_i_want/