A Little Christmas Beef
2005-12-12, 9:18 a.m.

�Tis not often on here that I proffer a little diatribe, but today I must address the encroaching public extinction of that most venerable holiday, Christmas.

Hubby and I are pretty well laid back when it comes to a lot of things, but he has been seriously irked by the absence of the Coca-Cola Santa. What finally cheesed me off? No Mannheim Steamroller on The Weather Channel. What gives?

People. Lighten up.

Christmas has been around for awhile, ya know. So why now, in this generation, are some selfish idiots people emerging from under their rocks in full battle gear, with enough rancor to make even the Grinch appear charitable and pleasant?

Let�s put this in perspective, shall we?

It�s a holiday. Initially, a religious observance, a celebration culled from many faiths and adopted and adapted into Christianity. In case you haven�t noticed, the well-wishes aren�t exactly exclusive. It�s a party and you�re all invited.

I don�t want to euthanize Christmas, or Hannukah, or Kwanzaa, or any other holiday/observance/ritual that occurs this, or any other, time of year. Seems to me that in this universe, there�s room for all. Contrary to popular belief, if I wish you a Merry Christmas, I am not encroaching upon your personal space or trying to assimilate you into the Christian borg. I am happy and brimming with good feelings and I wish upon you the best of everything. If someone bids me Happy Hannukah or Blessed Be or whatever tidings of joy to which they subscribe, I am not in fear for my mortal soul (or in horror that someone is trying to get me to acknowledge its existence)�I am glad and even feel privileged that the person thinks enough of me to bid me well. Think �Have A Nice Day� on steroids. We could use a lot more of that.

Is the answer to Sanitize The Season For Your Protection? Heaven forbid we o-fend. No, the answer lies in CHANGING YOUR ATTITUDE. Because we�re on a slippery slope here, friends. Next thing you know, someone will be sued for saying �Have a nice day� because that implies that the individual to whom you speak observes time and the adherence to the standard calendar and the subliminal implications of the meaning of the word �nice� and that is incredibly offensive.

Puh-leeze.

Grip. Get one.

The jolly fat dude? He�s not out to suck your soul into the satanic void. He�s not out to vacuum your earnings into the gaping hole of consumerism (although the merchants and manufacturers try really hard). He�s not out to club you over the head with the cross of righteous self-indignance. He�s a symbol of love and joy and FUN. If you don�t participate, fine, but don�t ruin it for the rest of us. There are plenty of other symbols from other observances that also bring to mind family and togetherness and happiness and good times and personally, I love to see them all. We need reminders of good things. We need stuff to prod us out of ourselves and back into embracing everyone around us. We need something to nudge our consciences so that we can do something, anything, to help others and make the world a better place. There�s no reason to be threatened. No one was ever destroyed by good will.

So at the risk of offending everyone and placing your eternal lives in extreme jeopardy,

MERRY CHRISTMAS,

if you dare.

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