Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas. Here's Some Thoughts.


That's for all of us oldsters who remember Walt Kelly's "Pogo", a truly wonderful comic strip. My Father loved to sing "Deck Us All" on Christmas, and it's still a bit of a family tradition for my sisters and I. My nieces think we're rather weird.
Growing up in San Francisco, we never got a "white" Christmas. But my father was very much a traditionalist with all the wintery decorations. Snow seemed so beautiful back then. Now that I live in a place where it actually snows during winter, snow is not so romantic. This year we have a little snow on the ground from a midweek storm, but it's melting into slush. And I'm perfectly content with that.

One thing I truly do not 'get' is the whole idea of a "war on Christmas". Apparently diversity is some how a "threat" to Christianity. When I was growing up in San Francisco, I knew that many groups around me didn't celebrate Christmas. Heck, my Grandmother was Jewish (although not strictly devout) so we also had Chanakkuh. That our neighborhood was diverse was why we often said "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas" because virtually every culture has some sort of winter/solstice celebration (and it was a lot of fun to go to different types of parties). Now that I'm a grown up secular atheist, I still enjoy Christmas/solstice/winter celebrations. Doesn't seem like a cause for conflict.


Another thing I really don't get are Christmas car commercials. I do understand that there are some people who are rich enough to buy someone a new car as a Christmas gift, although it's sickeningly decadent. What I don't get is the commercials where the car is in the living room by the Christmas tree. Who has a drive-in living room?



I'll be spending the day hanging out with a few friends, sharing a bit of "cheer". My family is small, and spread around the country, so getting family together isn't practical. But I'm very happy that I have good friends to share the day with.
Hope you have a wonderful day sharing warmth with family, friends, loved ones, or even a kind stranger.
Here's an absolutely worthless gift (which you're free to exchange at any major retail outlet) for you: Sarah Palin!



















(special thanks to Lockwood of Outside the Interzone for "Deck Us All")





4 comments:

Fearguth said...

Cold weather, warm thoughts: must be Pygalgia.

Suzanne said...

wishing you the best the season has to offer dood.

i lived in the sf bay area from 64 or 65 or so until moving to the santa cruz mts in 2004. never had any snow and longed for it. didn't get any during my years at the cabin. wasn't until i moved to the oregon coast that i had snow. sure is pretty to look at but not at all fun when having to go anywhere.

urland said...

Sorry I didn't make it to the GR on the holiday. Came down with a nasty cold and spent all my time sleeping / dozing since last Thursday. Now I'm at work and wishing I was still in bed. Happy solstice daze.

Libby Spencer said...

Hey Pygalgia. Glad to find you posting. Many blessings to you in the New Year and thanks for all the boobies.