Well, it's Christmas day. Actually it's early the morning after Christmas. Today was a very good day, and I must say that very little of that has anything to do with this holiday except that it gave me the opportunity to spend time with my family. I'm coming to despise Christmas. I absolutely love the opportunity to spend time with my family and friends. I appreciate the opportunity to give to others. I appreciate how people take time to express their love and appreciation for their friends and family. What I do not appreciate is that most of these things only occur on this day of the year when they should be happening everyday of our lives. Especially for my friends of faith, but everyone as well should be doing this stuff all of the time. Also all of the commercialism bugs me.
I wish there was a way to acceptably escape it. I try to avoid it but I must delve into the pit to buy Christmas gifts and cards, and when I'm down there in the muck (which looks remarkably like the inside of wal-mart) it smells horrible and the stench does bad things to people; turns them into ugly nasty people seeking only for themselves (or their family and friends that is. I'm going to be nice to them and buy them gifts but heaven help anyone who gets in my way. In no way do they deserve the grace I'm lavishing on my family). Does anyone else see the contradiction there? It's so stupid of us all to mope around department stores treating everyone poorly in the name of spreading good cheer. It's just a huge paradox. So which side of this paradox do I doubt? Are these people actually spreading good cheer but getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of things and behaving poorly, or are these people true in their ill intentions and false in their good cheer spreading. Maybe it's my cynicism or general view of the world and humanity but I'm going to go with the second one. We claim we love others on Christmas, however I see that our picture of love is really skewed. Is this love? Judging from most people's disappointment and contempt for the gift giving process or visiting family and all of the other "duties" that come along with Christmas, I would say that we don't always give gifts out of love. It's more just because that's the right thing to do on Christmas. It's just a tradition that's always been a part of our lives.
So do I suggest we stop giving to others? No. I suggest we mean it. This sounds so bunny-foo-foo but I mean it. It's kind of like my religious-traditions-theories. Why do something that means nothing to you. The inspiration must come before our appropriate reaction and acting it out. It's goofy to think that the more we walk through a reaction process (such as worship) the more likely it is that we will be inspired. That's just not how the laws of nature work. So how do we mean it? I don't know. I'm just thinking of this all now and it's not like I have the answers. Do something to bring to your mind first what people mean to you, then out of that, give, if you truly feel so moved. Hmmm . .. at least something to think about.
I must sleep now. Tomorrow I'm off to Reading for a gig and a party. Should be cool.
Let what is actually important, be important.
