Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Enough of Holidays!

I thought I would write about the HOLIDAYS.  But I just can’t.  It’s such a superfluous part of my life.  What is it about decorating the house (and for the really obsessed, the yard)?  Putting up all those lights and glitter and more lights and trees and more lights and don’t forget the statues!  Statues!  Fantasy statues like flying reindeer, elves and the obese guy all right next to something that is supposed to be meaningful like the Son of God in a manger.  Whatever possesses people?  OK, now I’m started and I can’t get stopped.  I didn’t want to offend anyone and I’m sure I already have so I may as well go with it.



Every year some yahoo writes the same story about peace and love for our fellow man; especially the less fortunate.   The hope we can have in the coming new year and why we should make resolutions we know we won’t keep.  Somehow we will all be better people this next year.



No.  I’m not going to be that yahoo. Because I don’t really care!  Christmas was the same as it always is and next year we’ll recycle all the same sentiments.  So I’m glad it’s over.  I won’t have to listen to silly, obnoxious Christmas songs at every store I walk into.  Or smile at some guy in a Santa suit ringing a bell in front of it.  It’s over.  Finally.  One last time. All that’s left to do is take the tree down and drag all the decorations back to the attic.  I’ll make the same resolution I make every year new year; clean out the attic!  Once the house is back to normal, I’ll be able to get myself back to normal.  (My wife, who is really a very warm, gracious person, laughs when I say that.)  Maybe I’ll get to work on some of those unfinished projects that clutter my shop.



Just to be fair, the season does provide a distraction from the hum-drum of the everyday.  But beyond that it’s mostly noise.  I do remember one particularly memorable Christmas; the year I bought my wife a horse.  It was a little appaloosa filly.  She wasn’t my wife at the time but I think that filly had something to do with her becoming so.  Oh, and I remember our oldest daughter on her first Christmas.  What a let-down!  I was waiting, camera in hand for that wow-moment when she opened her first present.  But all she wanted to do was play with the stupid wrapping paper!  It was her second Christmas that I finally got the picture.  Although, that wasn’t near as good as the third year; when she was trying to make her six month old sister play with the toy instead of the paper.



That makes me think of the year we had all the in-laws over for Christmas dinner.  I mean all of them.  Nieces and nephews, sister and brothers, Moms and Dads, a couple strays; thirty-some people in a house built for four.  What a hoot!  Took a week to clean up.



You know, if nothing else Christmas is at least an excuse for doing crazy stuff with people.  Stuff we wouldn’t otherwise do.  And I did get some pretty cool gifts.  I suppose I may go ahead and do it again next year.   Just don’t start thinking I’m some yahoo.

2 comments:

John said...

There are many things about the"Holidays" that are truly annoying.  First of which, is the assignment of the word by employers' to oppress the Christian faith.  Equal Opportunity Employment....  Really?  Do I get an opportunity to speak or has Freedom of Speech gone by the way-side. (rhetorical)  Who has the right to tell an individual what to call their own religious holiday?  Do you remember when you could walk the streets and wish everyone you saw good will and not worry about how you worded it?  Are you afraid you might offend someone?  Nope.  Can't do it.  That's what takes the love out of Christmas.

I suppose the worst part about of having to be so politically correct is the audience I'm forced to appease.  You know, these are the same individuals who believe in another faith, but have no objection to taking "Christian Holidays" off work.  It's oppression I tell you... How...you ask?  

...let me enlighten you.  Pick a faith...any faith..other than Christianity.  When you settle on the faith you like least, remember we all demand our "religious holiday's" off work.  The interesting part is not so much that they take Christian holidays off, and their own, but the fact that I can't buy so much as a gallon of gas on Christmas day is utterly ridicules!!!  You realize, at this point, other faiths are celebrating. (as they try my patients!)

On ANY other holiday, from ANY other faith, grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores are all open for business.  I truly believe individuals of other faiths enjoy legally oppressing Christians on Christmas, thereby making the forgetful Christian (not that I don't have enough on our mind) a victim of Christian oppression!  Have I gone too far?  
Oh well.  

It does seem like it is everywhere and especially on Christmas day.  I say, let's close down all stores just like Christmas day for the week following July 20th this year...Ramadan (start) Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting.  I bet we could keep people pretty honest about their fasting.  (especially individuals that forgot to get to Walmart)

Jehovah's Witnesses do celebrate one holiday - the "Memorial of Christ's Death," which occurs at roughly the same time as Christian Easter and the Jewish Passover.  This holiday is acceptable to them because it was instituted by Christ himself. (the rest of the Christian holiday's are observed only as Pagan holidays....you know...off with pay!) The Memorial is the one time during the year in which the Lord's Supper is observed. The most recent Memorial of Christ's Death was held on April 4, 2004. {2}. We should shut EVERYTHING down for that one!

Finally, we can't leave out the year by the Buddhist community. Many of these days celebrate the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar. The most significant celebration happens every May on the night of the full moon, when Buddhist all over the world celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha over 2,500 years ago. It has become to be known as Buddha Day.  If we could figure out when the hell this was really going to happen, we might be able to predict the weather in Indiana for next week.

It is possible I might just ramble a bit, but I agree...it's just a lot of noise.

Gracious and loving person said...

I think the whole idea of love is what Christianity is about. Giving gifts to celebrate the gift we received when God gave us His ONLY son and loving one another kind of like He loved us? Well to me that is what it's all about and I am going to keep my focus in that direction. It keeps me happy and causes me to love even more. I love God with all of my heart, my mind and my soul. He is powerful and in control, so why fuss? Just focus on Him and he will keep your heart and mind with perfect peace. Peace and Joy to all.