Holy Crow, the school actually says Merry Christmas!

"Merry Christmas." That was the greeting that reached me today in the school lot as I dropped of my little man. Now, we've recently moved and my children are new to their respective schools this year. The old district that we were in, happened to be very "politically correct." It was always happy holidays, there were no Christmas parties, but holiday celebrations. Menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, Christmas trees, stockings and observance if Ramadan. Now, kids were discouraged from saying Merry Christmas, even though the schools were on CHRISTMAS vacation. My children were expected to swallow the force fed fact that they were to respect other cultures and religions while their own personal beliefs were to remain squashed and quiet. Now I have heard that it would be unchristian of my and of my offspring of they were not accepting of others. Though I believe that that there is a difference between acceptance and disrespect. If you expect me to respect your beliefs, then don't disrespect mine!!!

Now back to my moment of Holy Crow. We moved to a smaller community, actually we moved to farm ville. Not that this is a bad thing, the people in our new community are very friendly, and very accepting. They say Merry Christmas and my little man is having a Christmas party!!! Not a holiday party, not a multicultural holiday celebration, but an honest to goodness Christmas party. People here don't take offense to you wishing them Merry Christmas. This includes the staff at the schools, the shops, the restaurants. Christianity is still alive and well here on Earth.

a reading from the "book of plasma."

So the pertinent question of the day: "How many days until Christmas?" This is asked by my hazel eyed little man, who is of the ripe old age of seven. He is the absolute incarnate of Christmas wonder, his countdown begins in October and he waits with patience that would rival that of the saints in heaven above for December 1st. Why December 1st? Ahhh, well this is when he begins his own official countdown to what he considers the best holiday on the planet. Now my little man has two older siblings, both in middle school, one teetering the belief of the man in the red suit and one teen age sibling who has not believed in santa since the 4th grade. Now I would much rather wrap things and place them under the tree rather than stuff packages in every single unused crevice that I can find. Yet, the absolute amazement that this little guy brings to the holidays is amazing. His resounding joy for the holiday fills the house with his multiple choruses of jingle bells, Rudolph, frosty, and the 12 days of Christmas, he can be heard in the upstairs bathroom belting out the holiday top twenty at the top of his little lungs, leaving the rest of the house in fits of hysterical laughter. (he prefers this room due to the echo effect that the large room provides) The addition of the traditional chocolate filled advent calendar has added some interesting moments. For those not familiar with the advent calendar, it's a cardboard calendar with 24 little doors, behind each door is a small treat, this is to "countdown the days until the holiday." The one we have at home has small chocolates and on the door are a small bible reading. So, my little man takes his turn reading from the book of Psalms. He concludes this by saying "this is from the book of plasma."

Frosty, Jingle Bells, Rudolph, cookies, chocolate, trees, candy canes and now readings from the book of plasma....ahhh another christmas memory....thank you little man.

so how much does one have to pay it forward in order to feel better???

So....I have noticed an interesting trend in people this holiday season....the amazing trend of I have been so selfish that I MUST do something nice for humanity, that I MUST pay it forward.....News flash folks, atonement does not happen when you place that loose change in the red kettle, or when you decided that you should cut back since you have had a cut in pay, when last few years you spent every extra dime that you had or did not have in a gluttonous shopping spree or when you mail a few Christmas cards to soldiers, when last year you could have cared less. These two sins are referenced in Charles Dickens story "A Christmas Carol"...The spirit finally reveals to Scrooge two emaciated children, subhuman in appearance and loathsome to behold, clinging to his robes, and names the boy as Ignorance and the girl as Want. The spirit warns Scrooge, "Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."
Ok why the reference you ask, well dear bloggers, Ignorance and Want seem to be a theme that I have watched all year this year. Through the circle of individuals that I have or had considered to be my friend....yet, no matter the level of giving that they have received from me, whether it be in assistance, a listening ear or monetary flow, I have seen the same two children that appeared under that ghosts robes....ignorance and want....people wanting more and more and me being ignorant enough to believe that they were honest in their intention of being a friend. That when they realized that there was nothing else to be had that they have moved onto bigger and better people. Remember this quote kids..."water finds it's own level."
So in a way this blog is a warped dedication to those out there who used what they could and have moved on and are now trying desperately to grasp at straws to make yourselves feel better, the one thing is, I won't name names, so please don't ask....you know who you are....and fyi.....there is no atonement for ignorance and want....no matter how hard you try....the best thing you can do is offer an apology to the person...who's feelings you stepped on....and hope that atonement would be offered in the form of them accepting your apology.

The ghosts of Christmas past.....

We are now a grand total of 15 days before Christmas. Now mind you the barrage of shopping reminders that fill of all the stores, ads on television, radio and internet (especially the annoying pop up variety.)
This year I can't but help think about this time last year, when I was discussing Christmas past with my cousin Chris. Through a few email correspondence and a few scanned email photos, there was a rather sweet article written about the hilarity of Christmas past. My grandparents, prior to retiring to the U.P.) used to have Christmas Day at their house on Anglin street in Detroit. About my Grandma's jello molds, the big tree lights that my grandpa used to put on the tree, (the type that should be on the outside of the house.) and how the four of us grand kids would unscrew the bulbs and rearrange them on the tree so the colors were all in sequence. We did it to drive grandpa crazy, he would have to mix them up again. How we would sit on the end of the bed and entertain each other by singing songs and putting on shows in the bedroom mirror. Unbeknownst to many, my cousin and I often chatted via email in regards to life and sports and the articles that he was writing. As I sit here writing this tonight it's with a sense of sadness and loss. By now some crazy holiday edition of "Understanding Ogryski" would have been published and I, like many of his faithful readers, know that there will not be one this Christmas. We lost him this year and let's be honest, 35 years on this corporeal plane isn't enough. I came across that last December article and had to laugh at the photo of he and his sister Heather at ages 2 and probably 9 months, as she had him in what we called the "headlock of love," and the photos of the four of us kids, sitting on the sofa in Detroit and then later at my aunt's house in Sterling Heights.
I have to say that I have missed my December conversations this year, the great debates on sporting events and on how kids should see the holidays. I miss the very intelligent journalist that wrote with wit and from the heart. So, dear bloggers, I would ask you to keep this in mind this holiday season. Take a look at those around you, the ones that you hold near and dear to your hearts, then take a look at those who absolutely drive you up the wall. Take a moment and be thank full for the lessons that each and everyone of them have to teach us all. Dear Cousin, thank you for all of your wonderful articles, the hilarious debates and tributes to sports and to family, and know that they are missed and so are you.

In loving memory of Christopher March 14th, 1975- January 28th, 2010.