Happy Holidays! Maybe not, though.

 

By Joseph Walther

 

Since beginning this column, I’ve not written one for the week prior to Christmas Day because I figured that people would be too busy to read it. In the United States, more people celebrate the Christmas season than don’t. While this makes perfect sense to me, I witnessed a few things this past week that I’d like to share with you.

 

            I travel a great deal. While some of it is interstate, most is intrastate. The week leading up to Christmas Eve is always hectic, no matter the location. This year, however, seems to have been especially so. Over the past six days, alone, I’ve been witness to no less than 5-fist fights, not to mention numerous verbal altercations, involving a number of stressed out, disgruntled shoppers. “Stupid” is a perfect adjective for such conduct.

 

            Oh yes, before I forget, how many of you knew that retail merchants across the country have been retaining professional counselors to help hassled employees cope with maturity-challenged customers this holiday season—tell the truth, now? I stay abreast of things as a rule, but I’ve not heard of this before now.

 

            Throughout my professional life, I’ve had occasions when I had to deal with members of society that were not, shall we say… um, nice. But, the thought of punching them out simply never occurred to me. Putting out a few contracts? MAYBE! Well, OK, in my position, I could never have taken a chance on getting caught doing it directly. I would have had to hire someone to do it…discretely, of course. I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that many of you don’t realize that for under 50-bucks and the thrill of it all, some people will break both of your legs.

 

            Well, they will! Mind you; I never knew these people directly, but my friend Jerome—not his real name—did. All I had to say was something like, “Damn, that dude bothers me.” To Jerome, this was a service request. I didn’t even have to fill out any of those pesky old legal forms.

 

            Anyway, I’m not going into the details involved with this past week’s incidents. All of them were too dim-witted for words. Until now, however, I’ve not seen this level of anger over nothing, particularly during a season that is supposed to represent the embodiment of hope, peace, and love. I called Jerome. He hasn’t, either.

 

            This column will hit the Internet prior to 11:59 PM, December 24^th. It will appear in twenty-four print media outlets across the country sometime between Tuesday, December 26^th and Friday, December 28^th, depending on which day the respective editors use it. Before its NEXT edition, on December 31^st, some thirty-four million families will not have had a holiday because they couldn’t afford one. In addition, several million children will have gone to bed hungry, as they do most nights. The number of homeless souls—mostly through no direct fault of their own—will have increased, also. And, the perpetual partnership of loneliness and hopelessness will have claimed the customary tally of seasonal suicides, as usual.

 

            As I write this, it is 10:17 PM Saturday, December 23^rd. I’ve just returned from a one hundred mile trip back from a Sussex County drug rehabilitation facility, hell for short. A person I care very much about is fighting for her very survival and sanity. She’s scared and lonely. She feels powerless. I do, too. Money can’t cure all problems. If it could, I’d cure her in a heartbeat. So, I do the things I can: hug her; be there for her; and do everything in my power to help her find the sunshine again. Please! Would those of you with a relationship with God, make contact now?

 

            I hadn’t paid much attention, but rumor has it that there is a war going on this holiday season. I’m not referring to the Iraq war, though. I’m talking about the war between small, fanatical pockets of Christians and non-Christians, as well as a few avowed Atheists with too much time on their hands. Some of the Christians are in a tizzy over an alleged attempt to destroy Christmas by replacing “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays.” Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are the generals leading the Christian army. I’m not sure who is leading the other side; some godless secular humanists, I suppose. I bring this up solely because, on a scale of relative importance, this kind of tripe doesn’t even register.

 

            We face monumental problems in this country, particularly on a social level. We could solve more than just a few of them in short order, if it were not for this kind of trivial pursuit. So, if you’ve joined either of these armies, please grow up and get a life. I don’t believe that Jesus ever sent a Christmas card, let alone indicated a specific greeting preference. I mean, like, if He’s actually the second in command, with a whole universe to run and all, I’d think He’d be much too busy. Really! And, I think the fact that both Falwell and Robertson aren’t waddling around with incredibly painful hemorrhoids the size of cows’ udders is proof.

 

            Finally, I thank all of you for reading me. This column is only one of my retirement projects. One of life’s greatest thrills is to be in a position to help people rekindle their life’s passion. Or, in some cases, find it. I’m lucky. People helped me find mine about 35-years ago and I’ve never looked back. I find myself now working with people who have not been so lucky. The only minor regret I have is that I didn’t retire a few years earlier. I’ve always loved my work, but, God, I’m having an incredible time! I’ll be back next week, same time and channel. Have as fantastic a holiday season as you can.

 

Joseph Walther is a freelance writer and publisher of The True Facts. Copyright laws apply to all material on this site. Send your comments. Just click here.