Hello my friends! As we all prepare to give Thanks tomorrow then stuff ourselves to excess, watch football, and fall asleep early, I thought I'd share a few thoughts on the happenings of the next few days. Come along for the ride.
I am truly thankful for all the good things I have. My family, my friends, my job. All important things that I sometimes take for granted. Now, sometimes my family pisses me off, and sometimes my friends can be grade A douchenozzles, and some days my job absolutely kicks me in the nether regions wearing steel toed boots, but you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have....if you finished that sentence properly, you're an 80's TV hound like I am! Tomorrow I will have roughly 17 people at my house for the Thanksgiving feast - and although I have some preparations to finish, I am anticipating a very fun day. Our annual Bingo game is always a hit, I'm hoping to get some card playing in, watch a little football, some of the parade, and of course the food and beverages! What I am NOT looking forward to is after tomorrow - the "Holiday" season.
I celebrate Christmas. Always have, always will. I put up a Christmas tree every year. I enjoy the atmosphere of Christmas. What I don't enjoy is the politically correct nonsense of the "Holiday" season. I appreciate all of the holidays, and know that each holiday is held dear by those who celebrate it. I do not make assumptions about who celebrates what. If I wish you a Merry Christmas, I am not rubbing in your face that I celebrate Christmas, or trying to jam my religious beliefs down your throat. I am merely expressing hope that you enjoy the Christmas season. If you don't celebrate Christmas, my wishing you a Merry Christmas is not an insult to you. If you say to me "Happy Hanukkah," I don't think you're trying to convert me. I will just smile and say "Thank you - you as well." Merry Christmas does not translate to YOU MUST CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS OR ELSE YOU ARE LESS OF A PERSON. Quite the opposite - if I think enough of you to wish you joy on Christmas, that should say more than if I get the wrong holiday.
With all that being said, I have heard other people claim that it's insulting that the day after we give thanks for what we have, we go out to get deals on more things. This doesn't mean we don't appreciate what we have, but as much as you explain to a child the meaning of Christmas isn't about receiving toys, I have news for you. KIDS LIKE TOYS. We are bombarded with advertisements regarding sales of these things, and of course kids will want them. I, as a father, strive to make my children happy. That's my job. If I buy my children a PlayStation 3 for Christmas (which I'm not, but follow me) I am doing it for one reason...to bring joy to my family. I am not doing it to "stimulate the economy", I am not doing it to make others that may not be able to afford it feel bad. Trust me, my kids have had some lean Christmases in the past because I just didn't have the means to do what I would have liked.
I also don't need to be bombarded with the "PUT THE CHRIST BACK IN CHRISTMAS" propaganda. I am not overly religious. If that is how you celebrate Christmas, by all means, do so. I never espouse my religious beliefs on anyone unless I am asked, and even then I don't most of the time. I don't shove my beliefs down your throat, don't shove yours down mine. If I choose not to attend mass on Christmas Eve, that doesn't make Christmas any less important to me. To me, telling me how I should celebrate is as bad as telling me how I should be decorating my tree.
The point of all this is...whatever you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it. I am not going to go through a whole laundry list of holidays every time I say good-bye to someone the next month. I will say Merry Christmas. If you feel you MUST correct me, do so respectfully, and realize I am not trying to convert you to Christianity. I am just wishing you well.
Now I must conclude this entry, as I have to prepare for Thanksgiving. Enjoy your feasts. If you drink, do so responsibly. I am thankful for all of you who take the time to read my ramblings. I am thankful for the comments which can be left here, on Facebook, or on Twitter. Truthfully, I'm just thankful to be here. Be well, everyone.
