That Time Of Year Again, Humbug.

The thing that I dislike about this time of year is, not the crowds, not the shopping, not all the ads, not the old movies on TV and not even the constant Christmas music playing everywhere. Nope the thing I dislike about this time of year is all the stupid pieces in news papers and on TV about how awful and stressful Christmas is. It has almost become a Christmas tradition on it's own to bash the holiday. There will always be an interview with some twit that can't handle the days to come, they just never show you the fact that this person could not even keep themselves organized at any time of year let alone on a holiday.

This year they started right after Halloween, about how stressed people get shopping, trying to find that perfect gift, about the heart burn or weight gain they suffer with from over eating. They whine about the lights and decorations while trying to out-do their neighbors. I say wake up and get some common sense, maybe step into the real world for a second. I think 'stress' would not apply to shopping but to the families where both partners lost their job and may lose the house. I think worrying about food is more for people in third world countries and they know what the true meaning of 'suffer' is. As for stressed by how your neighborhood is decked out for the holidays, ask people where the many wars are going on how they like the look of where they live at the moment. Yes it can be a bit of a pain but Christmas is what you make of it, just make it a meal with family and friends, have a few decorations like in the old days. I think past Christmases held more spirit than any mall-driven Christmas these days.

Then come the insulting stories, the ones to stir a little dust with the more devout people, the people who keep what Christmas is suppose to really mean. That Christmas is really a Pagan holiday borrowed by the early Christians, that Jesus was born in spring, that Mary was not a virgin, that she was forced to marry a much older man, that they could never have walked to Bethlehem, that there were many Jesus figures, that there never really was a Jesus. What is the point to these stories, only to upset and dampen a person's good mood or happiness. We have heard these all before over and over, there is nothing new here. To the people who keep doing it, who keep coming up with these lame stories...YOU BORE ME! It is similar to teen angst, where they want to appear cool by pretending to be annoyed by anything traditional and always focus on any negative part only. That gets old and it is old to me now, so do your frigging job as a reporter and get off your lazy ass and find a 'real' news story! Maybe then we would not get surprised by crooked politicians, drugs in our neighborhoods, people in real need who are falling through the cracks. As for Christmas, I am going to do what I always do, put some lights up, a few decorations, a great meal with family, exchange a few gifts and have a good time, but I guess that will never make the news.