« November 2006 | Main | January 2007 »
December 19, 2006
On the State of Things
Posted by at 05:58 PM
December 18, 2006
On The Meaning of Christmas
The meaning of Christmas seems to be elusive for a lot of people. We're bombarded with advertisements telling us that if we don't get that "perfect gift" we'll somehow have ruined everyone's entire year, we're told that Jesus is the reason for the season (and why not, it's His birthday), we're told that by celebrating Christmas and not every other subsection of America's observance we're racist, and above all we're told amidst the confusion, that we should be happy. Is it any wonder that nobody can quite get a finger on what Christmas means.
The book of Luke in the bible tells of coming of Jesus to Earth and eludes to the miracles and redeption he will provide later in his life. December 25 is almost universally accepted as the birthday of Jesus. Since that time this day has been celebrated by Christians as a day of Joy. The holiday season has expanded to include Thanksgiving clear until New Years, providing over a month of celebration, feasting, gift giving, and merriment.
To children Christmas brings the promise of Santa Clause, toys, treats, and fun. Whether Christian or not, Christmas is an exciting time for children around the world. Stores, streets, and people are decorated for the season. There are wonders for all five senses to be had. Stories, songs, and foods reserved just for the season are abundant.
While the holidays can be quite stressful for adults, most wouldn't give up the celebrations to relieve the stress. I hate shopping as much as anyone else, but if not having Christmas was the price I had to pay for not shopping I'd gladly brave the mall. There's a generall sense of happiness and good cheer. Adults are fondly reminded of their childhoods (with some exceptions), and join their children in drinking up all the season has to offer.
This year I started noticing Christmas decorations early (it seems earlier every year). Next to the scary costumes for Halloween were Christmas decorations. My reaction to this the past several years has been an annoyance. The marketing geniuses for every company that can make a dime off the season are hard at work trying to expand profits. This year as I stood staring at the decorations I realized that my irritation was unfounded. I love Christmas and probably always will. I'm a big kid when it comes to the season. What occured to me while standing in that store was that I could choose to be upset at the marketing ploy or I could use those decorations to start to feel an excitement and anticipation for the season. Very soon I found myself humming a Christmas song and walking from the store (I didn't buy any of the decorations).
So what's it all mean. It's occured to me this year the the true meaning of Christmas can be summed up to one word....JOY.
Joy is that happiness that envelops you, that won't go away, that lasts and lasts and makes you feel....well, great...joyful. Whatever part of Christmas brings Joy is what matters. If it's shopping, the giving and recieving of gifts, time with family, the birth of Jesus, the food, decorations, or whatever, Christmas offers everyone a reason to smile and be happy. There is so much excitement and opportunity to be happy during this time of year that anyone, Christian or not, can find a reason to celebrate and lighten their heart. I, for one, love all of these aspects of the season. This, I think, is the true meaning of Christmas.
So, from me and my family, to you and yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. I hope that during this special time your life is as filled with Joy as mine.
Posted by at 12:36 PM | TrackBack
December 02, 2006
On A Disposable Generation
My generation has been called the Disposable Generation or the Throw Away Generation, not because we ourselves are disposable but because we seem to throw everything away instead of fixing it or using it slightly damaged. Yesterday I had an experience that made me think of this title that I'd like to share.
I was haging Christmas lights on my house. The year before I had bought lights, hung them, and then at the end of the season carefully took them down along with the holders, folded them neatly, and stored them away for use this year. This year when I took them out, still in the very box and place I had put them a year ago, they didn't work. Nothing got on them, nothing had disturbed them, but somehow in the year they didn't work any more.
I'll admit that my generation throws away a lot of stuff. Everything is disposable now. Heck, even the cheaper model cars seem like they are made to use up for a few years and then toss. But tell me how my generation is supposed to keep things and use them again when they're made so cheaply. My mother is still using the same crock pot she got for a wedding present 27 years ago. The one I got for my wedding just over a year ago has since quit working. It's a $30 item that would cost about $50 to fix. Fiscally it makes better sense to just start over!
I'll tell ya what. My generation throws away a lot of stuff, but it's because the stuff we're given to use is junk. Cheaply made, cheaply bought, and short on life. If the older generations are so concerned with the amount of trash we produce they need to be equally as concerned as to why we're throwing stuff away in the first place.
Posted by at 07:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack