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Often times, and moreso around the holidays, I think back on simpler times when life was not as complicated and commercial as now.
Remember when, back in the 70's (if you can remember that far back) when we used to look forward to "Charlie Brown's Christmas" on CBS? or Rudolf the Red Nose Raindeer with those cheesy puppet things? When those came on, you knew Christmas was here!
Life was simple then... at least as a kid. Santa was a merry old elf and not Billy Bob Thornton being bad. Gay meant happy and everyone could feel gay without feeling "funny" about it. Christmas was a time to think about angels and peace on earth instead of political correctness and being sure to include Hanakah & Kwanza & agnosticism, etc. ad nausium.
People went to church, in my case Midnight Mass, and you felt just a little bit closer to God... as opposed to hem-hawing over which church is "just right" for you, along with which version of the bible. And heaven forbid you make the "wrong" choice.
And I miss SNOW! It used to get cold in West Texas... believe it or not. And I've seen LOTS of snow here, especially around Christmas. Where the hell did THAT go! Hell, my brother's and I made the front page of the paper when we carved out a freakin' dragon/dinosaur in our front yard that had to be at least 15' long, 3' wide and was pretty spectacular.
I miss simple times.
I miss the ease that childhood carried with it.
I miss having holiday's NOT filled with commercials that repeat every 3 minutes trying to sell you something in the most annoying way. (Buick is at the top of my list in the Annoying dept., Dodge too, they suck besides all that.)
Just got married this past March. Time has really flown by. I'm looking forward to the day when we have a child of our own. I'm hoping that with the coming of a child, simple times might return to me again. Bedtime stories, looking up at the stars for a red dot and hoping that's rudolf, catching snowflakes on my tongue and not having to wonder if its polluted by the air, going sleding and skiing and to hell with the bills!
Yes, I know none of this has anything to do with Aikido. Never said that that was all I would talk about. But I did warn you that it would be a journal and filled with babble. Okay... maybe the warning wasn't totally clear, but it should be by now, yes?
Anyways... I hope everyone is having a very Merry Holiday, whatever holiday you may celebrate! I wish you joy amongst friends and family. I wish you good tidings and cheer. I wish you peace in your little corner of the earth, whichever corner you may occupy... and I wish you would share all of that joy and love with the people around you.
Make today the day you give someone a hug, even one of those "manly" one-armed hugs to a buddy. Spread cheer and make someone smile, just before you slug em on the arm and call em a terrible name that you really don't mean. Or flirt with that girl that no one ever flirts with... even if you are married! ESPECIALLY because you are married! Makes you safe! And if it makes her smile just a little bit... I'm sure you'll wife will understand. (Then go clean the kitchen and take out the trash!)
Make today the day you didn't let one person go by without wishing them a Merry Christmas! And don't expect to hear it in return. We live in a synical society... even if I can't spell it. People don't take compliments as easy as they used to... but give them anyways. And when you go to bed tonight, thank the Almighty Power that you happen to believe in for a good day, because it was a good day.
12-14-2004 02:16 PM 
