Every Christmas there is a prayer that is spoken around the world for some miracle to happen. The end result is usually the recipient to have a very merry Christmas. So you have the people that are having a bad year that need the holiday as a new start or a way to forget all thats happened in the past couple months. Then you have the people who are too happy to even notice that anything is different this time of year. Their lives are just chock full of happiness and good will that they cant even see that Christmas is right around the corner. Then you have people that are stuck right in the middle.

That’s where I am right now. Right in the middle. I realize Christmas is coming up and I realize all the wonderful things that go with it, but for the first time, I dont think I feel it. But I also havent had anything bad happen to me this year that I need to regain my joy in life from the Holidays. So i’m sort of stuck in this mood of Christmas Spirit and giving and all that jazz yet, I feel like i’ve not yet overcome a C hristmas struggle. You know the kind…met a girl that wasnt your type, fell for her got your heart squished and you regain consciousness just to do it all over again. Or facing poverty and having to make presents. Or not having anyone to go to for the holidays. Every movie and story about Christmas has a struggle. Thats what makes Christmas so great. You struggle so much throughout the year and at the years end, you realize it’s worth it. Well, it’s more clear anyway…there’s a different warmth in the eyes of people when it’s this time of year and it can bring people back from the brink of anything.

And I guess I dont have anything to struggle about. Which is fine, obviously. But it’d be nice to feel that Christmas revelation feeling.

Another little observation. Okay, I understand Christmas is cliche and really quite desconstructive of equality. I also understand that there are other holidays around this time of year and Christmas is the weirdest of them all. It’s a mixed bag of old traditions and new wave concepts passed down all interpreted the wrong way generation by generation. Yes Christmas is commercial and just another means to spend money and give the corporations another reason to make a buck. But honestly I think everyone misses the point.

If you celebrate Christmas for it’s meaning of the birth of Christ and pass down the tradition of giving gifts because thats what the wise men did for Jesus Christ than please do. It’s an act of giving for thanks.

If you celebrate Christmas for commercial reasons. Meaning, if you put up a tree hang pictures of Saint Nick that resemble that of the one that was published in the 40’s/50’s from that Cocacola ad and you have no idea why other than you are supposed to give gifts on the 25 th of december. Then do it. It’s an act of giving for thanks. (Even though we do it for a commercial purpose, we give out of habit and regret [because if we didnt we'd feel bad] but it’s still a gift given to someone else out of thanks for all you’ve done.)

The point is to give. This world we live in, mainly America, but other countries as well, all subcribe to this greedy materialistic lifestyle where we think nothing but of our own survival. The base of instincts. If we have one day out of the year that makes us think of someone else for a change, there’s not a whole lot of wrong there. If anything, think about it; if we are here to propogate our species. And we feel as though we’re now smarter in this day and age that we’ve overcome our original purpose and we’ve gained a new one. Prove it. What better way to overcome instinct of survival of the fittest than to instigate giving to the fittest. Where we normally think we must do one thing to survive this time we give. It does nothing for us. But it does for someone else. WHOA! The next in the evolutionary chain isnt a physical one. It’s an act. Something we do as opposed to something we are supposed to be. Thats the true definition of being self aware. Being a conscience being that knows it exists to survive, but says, hmmm…there’s more to me than myself. There’s others. We give and we gain an emotion. Emotion is a new principal of life. The new reason why we’re here.

I say this because I meet people, I know people, who hate Christmas. I bet you do too. “Just another day to pick the pocket every 24th of December.” I’m sure there are reasons why they do hate Christmas. I would like to think it’s because they feel like they have nothing to be thankful for. Otherwise, I dont know the reason. People complain about the financial obligation. Thats your Americanized materialistic view on life talking. Get me ANYTHING! Make me something! For god’s sake, I want nothing more in this world than for someone to make a present! I want someone to make me a CD. I want someone to draw me something. I want someone to just spend time with me. Dont think because I get you a book for $15.99 you have to match or exceed that. It’s an fucking book! I got it for you because it reminded me of you. One day, ONE DAY. We’re pretty much forced to think about someone else for a change. You want to know how to change the world? Think of someone else. Consider them. Make someone happy. Do something for someone else. It’s the most revolutionary, world-changing, and best thing you could for yourself! FOR THE WORLD! So what if Christmas means long lines, cheap wooden ornaments hung on a pine, spiritualized backgrounds, financial obligations, and forced merriment. Stop looking for this chance to buy a better present or making people happy a competition.

Enjoy Christmas for what it is, a time to give. Not the birth of a man millions of years ago or not the purchase of your hard earned money. I apologize for the preachiness.

Well folks, Happy Holidays and I wish you nothing but the best…Here’s some music for you and your family.

Frank Sinatra – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Brenda Lee – Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
The Muppets – We Need A Little Christmas