What is Christmas in 2013.

All 6 can say is you better be there by now!  This past weekend 6, 6A and 61, made the annual trip to the mall, 62 was not there this year, 6 thinks that she was making a little to marry on Saturday night. It was really a great trip, as you might expect the stores were packed, the parking garages were full, and the people sure had no idea what Christmas is all about. Speaking of that 6 saw a poll the other day, and for the first time, more people in the USA think Christmas is a national holiday, and not a religious holiday. Given that nice piece of information, lets us do a “REALITY CHECK” look at the secular side. The goal is for retailers to get into the “Black”. Think about this, starting around Halloween we are subject to nonstop advertizing products, from new fangled hair removers (I still say it look like a cell phone) to Audi commercials (what a slap in the face to the Salvation Army, and the meaning of Christmas) to that stuffed animal with all of the pockets. The frenzy of advertizing reaches its peak, right before Thanksgiving, and depending on the number of retails who made it into the BLACK on Thanksgiving, it may wane, or even pick up. Given those fact this is what Christmas means: A month filled with extreme pressure to buy things, so that we can give things, because people might give us something. The people in the retail industry and delivery are now working 24 hours a day, to keep up with demand, based on the true reason getting the retailer in the BLACK. This means people are at the stores or on their tablets, getting prepared for the disappointments ahead of them.  The secular measure of success is simple: who can spend the most money on, things, decorations, food, party items, and most of all rot gut liquor.  This all translates into; wonderment is of how you are going to pay for all of the giving, Joy is finding a parking spot, mystery is how many early gifts that you will be able to re-gift, spirit is talking to random friends and trying to look interested, Hope bill collectors won’t call while at the same time you are holding your holiday party, Love is purchasing that special item just for yourself. The old saying “Peace on Earth Good will towards men” translated into 2013 terms means: If you do not provide your fellow man the material “items” they want, then there will be no peace for you. Let’s face it; if you are not politically correct then you will be scorned, Happy Holiday’s, Sparkle season, XMass, Holiday Season. What the heck does this mean, have we gone so far away from our country’s founding principles that we cannot wish someone a Merry Christmas. Our country is about standing up and taking a side.. Revolutionary war, civil war, or another way to put it is tea is no good at room temperature; it is either drank, hot or cold. Stand up for what you believe if you believe that it is Holiday season then say it, if you believe that it is Christmas, then say it… do not give in to “political correctness” and compromise your principles and say Holiday season, if your heart is telling you that it is Christmas! If you even have the smallest glimmer of TRUE Hope, Love, family, Joy, mystery, wonderment and spirit in your heart, then keep the light burning and call it Christmas. For that is why we all received the best gift on Christmas morn some 2000 years ago.  Now that is what Christmas is really all about!

If you remember I started this thing out at the mall, so I am going to get back to that. Well I found the perfect parking space, it was on the top floor of the structure, and at the other end furthest away from the door, but I was not going to have any problems getting out of the garage. We made it into the store and I found the item that I wanted to purchase, within 20 feet of the front door, so at this point I was done and ready to go home, but being in the spirit, I decided to bring my packages to the car and meet 6A and 61some place in the mall. On my way back in from the parking lot, I saw a rather large man and suitable wife, I think it was Booooob’s brother and sister in law, waddling to the door. I went in and looked at a couple of things and determined that it was time to find the girls. I headed to the escalator, and to my surprise, the same couple was in front of me. This time I got a closer look, they were well matched, and she must have laid out their wardrobe before they went shopping. Both had on a Blue coat, Blue jeans that made stone wash jeans look like blue jeans, and yes the both of them were strutting in a nice pair of white leather tennis shoes with that distinctive blue “N” Hot damn! It even gets better, the guy had a blue ball cap on and had that distinctive few strands of gray hair protruding out of the space between where you make the size adjustment and the hat, that is one of my favorite old man pet peeves! They were dressed in Blue and White from head to toe. As we reached the bottom of the escalator and he made his turn what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a weight challenge person with a blue ball cap and on it appeared a white embroidered lion and a big bold PSU across his chest. I could not have been so proud!

When you awaken on Christmas morning, take a few minutes to think about the meaning of the following words; Joy, Love and Peace and how they pertain to you. When you have completed your contemplation, make your way down for your first cup of coffee and absorb everything that your senses have to offer. This will enable you to find out what Christmas means to you!