i am the kinda guy that does not follow the crowd. if it is popular, i tend to stay away from it, just because of its popularity. after all, who wants to be a sheep all the time.
kinda like that with Christmas celebration. i hear people who talk about christmas and what it has become. truth is, it has not become anything different than it has been for years. we just see it now...finally.
today, Sheri and i go to the local pharmacy for refills and such. standing there looking out the window, a man walks up. "30 years. that is how long my wife and i have been together. 2 kids grown, moved out and we have no decorations up. thinking about buying this Charlie brown tree, just to have some sense of holiday spirit."
me too, i respond. 27 years for me, both kids out and gone.
"conrats", he says..."so you made it too!" all this as he takes a small tree off the shelf and knocks down a display. Merry Christmas he says.
yea, i guess i have. made it.we are celebrating by chillin, eating, and laughing.
later, we pulled into K-Mart and while i am pulling into the parking lot, this older lady curses me. She is in the wrong. she cut me off. i sat there...smiled.
yea, we made it.
the meaning of christmas has been the debate of the masses for years. for me, a long time it was about regaining the thoughts of innocence of childhood, the wonder and magic of santa and gifts.
when kids came along, it became about creating that for them. when they had kids, the same thing.
now that we are here, and not with the kids or grandkids, it seems i am forced to deal with reality. and reality is that with the occasional dose of spirituality, most of my Christmases have been about what i can get, what i can give, and mostly being with those who i love. and for the life of me, that does not feel wrong.
Jesus never told us to remember his birth. but the birth of a baby like Jesus calls for celebration and remembrance.
so. i remember his birth, and remember it was because we are stained with sin (from David Ashcraft) that he was born, and it was the removing of that stain that he died.
from my family to yours, enjoy the celebration of the birth of Christ. but remember he grew up, and told us to remember his death.
12.21.2008
Celebrating the Winter Solstice...Pagan Style
had a lot of plans for the holidays. planned on takin this trip through Florida...seeing kids, grandkids, family and friends. it was a good plan.
certain things were going to get accomplished. reconnecting was to happen, and we would finish up in Gatlinburg TN, speaking to a group of kids about the "Warrior Lifestyle." it was a great plan.
last min stuff happened, reality set in, and what seemed like a great plan all went the way of the flush.
now, for the first time in 26 years, my bride and i will spend the holidays together, away from all family. no decorations up (well, we do got a candle and a mini stocking with a candy cane in it), no tree, no family...immediate any way. what we do realize is plans seldom seem to go as i want, never have actually. while we miss the kids and grandkids, we are enjoying our time together. and while family may be far away, we have friends we are learning to love and enjoy our time with.
the days are shorter, and the weather is colder. it snows here...3 times so far. the traffic is ridiculous, and regardless of where you live, people are idiots when they drive. some lady tried to flip me off yesterday, but i think her niceness would not let her. she gave me 2 fingers rather than 1. prolly means a lot worse as well.
so rather than get christmas sappy, rather than remind everyone the world is getting worse and worse, rather than blame our president elect for the coming apocalypse, rather than complain about what holiday greeting to use, rather than fall in line with the goose steppin right wingers, rather than throw stones at prop 8 haters, rather than put statues of the manger scene up, rather than turn a celebration of love into a scream fest...
from my family, to yours...
"screw it, let's ride!"
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