Happy Holidays

As the year winds down and we get to the spirit of the holidays, I'd like to share a few thoughts of what I think these moments mean...
...a lot of nothing.

I recall as a child, being so enamored with Christmas. Dude, a guy comes down your chimney and leaves gifts. Well, my folks put a quick kibbutz to that by pointing out the obvious. How the fuck is a fat dude gonna shimmy down our chimney that's plugged up with dead pigeons?

Gotta hand it to Buddhist/Atheist/Agnostics...they know how to throw sand on a fire.

It didn't deter me from the hopes I saw on 80's sitcoms either. During these times, I look back on all those Christmas specials that would air during this time. A lot, surprisingly, had to do with the altruistic idea of Christmas. Which is, peace on Earth, goodwill towards man. This hasn't changed in over 40+ years. Yet, here we are looking at the commerce side again. And here they go pushing the non-commercial message of spirituality. A'int no kid gonna buy the fact of Jesus over a Big Foot kid-sized battery powered monster truck.

But, personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. In my family, it was (obviously) hard to share feelings. Feelings are those things that put on display weakness. Yeah, a girl will tell you that they like a man who can cry. But that man better be George Clooney or Channing Tatum. You start the waterworks, she runs for a guy (not you, because you're a girl friend). I've had this happened, and it's embarrassing. Moreso, looking back, I would've dumped me. So, saying shit like "I love you" or "love ya" or even "vacuum" (cause it looks like "I love you" mouthed) was a pain. It cuts into your gut like a tempered Ginsu. It took me a while to say that to a girl, and all the effort in the world not to vomit afterwards. I digress...what I'm saying is, money talks and bullshit walks. SO, Christmas is the perfect time to show how you care about someone by how much you spend. It's the perfect time for families, like mine, to do so without the mush.

So, here's the part where I get...ya' know....practical gifts. Food, socks and shirts. Basically, NOTHING on my wish list. In fact, I don't recall ever making one. BUT, here's the kicker...I'd play up the Santa thing with Ma & Pa Buddhist/Atheist, and they'd fucking eat my cookies and drink the milk. A-ha...gotcha'. Since Pa is lactose intolerant. There was some slight satisfaction in that revenge.

Alright, so I didn't really get anyone anything this year. As I get older, it becomes a greater hassle. Glad I'm not married. Then it'd be getting dragged through that hassle and hearing nothing but how things could've/would've been different. Yeah, the romantic tinsel has long since faded in my enjoyment of these holiday runs. The strangest part is watch "A Christmas Carol" where you start to sympathize with Ebeneezer Scrooge. I mean, in his defense, these ghosts who show his past, present and future gave him the "greatest hits" version. I could probably put together the same montage and he'd look how much his life really sucked.

Speaking of which...when was the last time you watched "It's a Wonderful Life?" Man, I saw the movie again recently (after watching my friend in a play version). Even in those days, Frank Capra (director) was called out for being a cornball. The message is, no one is poor who has friends. Who the fuck do you think makes you more poor during Christmas time, if it isn't friends?