Tidings of...?

I actually wrote this about a week ago, but the flu kept me offline for a few days.  Anyway, on with the blog, shall we?

Sorry I haven't written in here much, but between writing the book, and working overtime at my real job, I haven't had time to think much, let alone write it down in the blog.

I hope everyone had a Happy and safe Thanksgiving!

I spent some time in Allentown, PA with my in-laws this year, and a great time was had by all.  It almost makes me look forward to Christmas again.

I say again because wow, haven't we been innundated with Christmas stuff already?  Wal-Mart started putting their Christmas decorations out before HALLOWEEN this year.  A lot of people in my town started putting the decorations on their houses the day AFTER Halloween.  Ouch!  I'm starting to feel like the kid in "Christmas Every Day".  He wished it could be Christmas every day, and some magical fairy said, "Okay."  So everybody got new presents every day, because it was Christmas, after all.  After about two weeks, everybody got sick of it, and after a month, they wanted to kill this little kid for making it Christmas every day!  I guess the people who run the big chain stores haven't seen that movie.

And should I even start down the road of people saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" because we're so afraid of offending people these days?  It makes me angry sometimes because I even catch myself doing it, mostly at work.  Long story short, I was raised in a neighborhood full of Catholics and Protestants.  We always wished each other Merry Christmas.  If you had Jewish friends, you said "Happy Hanukkah", and most of them thought it was pretty cool that you acknowledged their holiday.  Now, we're so afraid of offending people of a different faith or culture, we go the "don't ask, don't tell" route, and just say "Happy Holidays".  I'm not Jewish, but if someone wished me "Happy Hanukkah", I couldn't really see myself getting offended.  I'd say it back and go on my way. 

But then again, I've never used religion to determine how I feel about or treat another person.  I was taught that it doesn't matter if a person worships God, or Justin Beiber (I picked him because it just sounded funny.  And disturbing), or a rutabaga.  It's what's on the inside and how they treat others that counts.  Tolerance and that whole "peace on Earth, goodwill toward men (and women) thing is what this time of year is supposed to be about, after all. 

Isn't it? 

Okay, maybe that subject was a little bit deep to rant about here, because I try to keep this pretty light.  But that's what came to my mind today.

So in closing, Have a Merry Christmas.  Or a Happy Hanukkah.  Or a Happy Kwanza.  Or a Joyous Yule.  Or a Happy Winter Solstice.  And of course... HAPPY FESTIVUS!