| On, Monday, December 6 around 10am, Tonya was thinking about how it just doesn’t feel like christmas. She said: I’m just not in the christmas spirit. I have not purchased a Christmas tree. I have not put on a Christmas Album. I have not wrapped all my presents and seperated them by days they will be delivered. Is it possible that, to me, Christmas is all about the shopping? Maybe if I could look at my weekly trip to Michaels as shopping for Christmas Presents, everything would be ok. Everyone looked at the floor. Then, heater suggested "i think it’s all about the shopping, IF that’s what you make it. i’m almost done with my shopping, but i like to get done early so that i can enjoy the christmas season with my family and friends. i know, that sounds generic, but it’s true!" amy said "no way! that doesn’t mean it’s all about the shopping. but i think that shopping does help with the christmas spirit because those stores have the things you lack. christmas decorations, trees and music. so string up some lights and play some christmas music. i also highly recommend christmas cookie making and christmas movie watching to get that christmas spirit. i usually wait for the christmas spirit to hit me and then it hits right when christmas is a day from being over and i miss it. what are you waiting for?" dh whispered "“because those stores have the things you lack.” doesn’t that sentence seem really sad for some reason. maybe it *is* all about shopping? i heard an interview about christ having been so removed from christmas that the writer suggested, instead of “keep christ in christmas,” it become, “save christ from christmas.” he looked at MLK day as a celebration of the life of MLK, the things that MLK worked for. Old JC was about his life and, more importantly perhaps, his resurrection. move christ over to easter and have a good one of those instead. it was an interesting editorial and echoes what you are saying, tonya." Everyone looked at the floor. Then, Tonya remarked "interesting op.ed, dh. But sadly, Christ (or the lack, therof) is playing no part in my feeling less than Christmas-y. I’ve rarely associated Christ with Christmas and tended to focus more on him during the Easter holiday (much like the NPR contributor). And I only decided to make my Christmas presents this year – not to stick it to the retail monsters – but simply because I was feeling crafty. I’m tagging along with a friend this week as she finishes up her shopping, so maybe that will help ?" Someone coughed quietly. heater protested "but we wouldn’t have easter if it weren’t for christmas. we just started a new series about christmas at our church. this past weekend, the sermon was about mary, but in a way that was different than what i had expected. it was all about how mary was willing to be a servant and to empty herself to be used by God. i am excited to hear the rest of the series." The crowd gasped! Tonya divulged "I’m sorry, but “empty herself to be used by God” sounds a little creepy. And, wouldn’t it be more correct to say, we wouldn’t have Easter without Christ’s Birth?" Everyone looked at the floor. Then, CPH preached "I think that buying things is a ritual, like stringing Christmas lights, decorating a tree, or listening to Christmas music. I also don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing." Everyone looked at the floor. Then, eric remarked "you all have it wrong about christmas and easter. why does it seem that those types of sites either have way too much color or no color at all?" A hush of silence fell across the room. Tonya agreed "Which makes it that much harder to view it at work. People who are walking by are much more drawn to sites with bright colors. Which, is to say, drawn to my own page. damn." Someone opened their mouth to speak, but heater whispered "i didn’t mean for it to sound creepy. i’m embarrassed now.  "A hush of silence fell across the room. eric said "heater, your comments in no way inspired those links. i just have this weird fascination with sites like that." heater said "shew!! i guess i can crawl out from underneath this rock and come back into the light. "Sister-in-law cried "So what dooo you want for Christmas? I haven’t done any shopping either. But, just go into Starbucks, as they’ve been playing Christmas music for weeks. Nay, a month now!" You can also view PAINT-ings, see some photos, read old thoughts, or visit other strangers. |
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