Bah Humbug

It’s all I can do to stomach Christmas. And every year, my disgust grows exponentially. Not my favorite time of year, to be sure. The crass commercialism that has overtaken this holiday we call Christmas nauseates me to no end as I watch people fighting over articles on sale, ratcheting up their personal debt to all new highs, raising their stress to stroke levels, and for what? Some pathetic need to buy someone’s love with exorbitant gifts that mean nothing in the long run?
We as a peoples are truly a lost cause. We’ve lost the plot. We’ve become slaves and don’t even know it.
What’s happened to love? Family? Friends? Kindness? Empathy? Compassion? What’s happened to contrition? Redemption? Absolution? Things that cost nothing, just time?
There is much more in interpersonal relationships and the long term gifts that can be exchanged in reaching out to love and understand one another, appreciate the other for what they are and what they represent, and what you can get by giving them your attention, a hug, a kind word. What finer gift is there anywhere on Earth? Just ask the countless thousands who lost loved ones in the recent tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean. They’ve lost loved ones that they will never be able to hug or see or talk to ever again. What about the ones who lost loved ones in 911? They, too, will never be able to tell their lost loved ones how much they meant, how much they cared. Forever. A long time. Do all the gifts they ever exchanged mean diddly in the big scheme of things? What would they give to have that person back? Would they treat them differently, if so?
We still don’t get the messages we’re being given to wake the fuck up and realize what’s really important in this world and fuck all the rest! I grow weary...
But, by God, we’d better lavish ridiculous amounts of money and purchase -by any means possible- shiny new toys and gadgets for one another rather than having a conversation and really listening and really discussing what all we can do to make not only our lives, but anyone we come in contact with to have a better understanding of why we’re here in this big cosmic experiment called life! It really is that simple, And so much more important than a shiny wrapped bauble; a giving soul, a listening, understanding ear, a hug, an embrace, all which costs not a dime, only time.
This year I received some of the finest gifts a man could ever ask for, and none of which cost anything, only time and consideration from friends, some of whom I barely know.
The first gift came from a newfound friend, someone whom I’d not said two words to in high school, but someone whom I re-met at a recent high school reunion, the spark of which proved to be fruitful. I’d written a piece for a magazine for which I contribute a bi-monthly article, a piece I’d received many compliments as it really shone a light on several ills that face the human condition. I was truly shocked when the piece was rejected for being politically incorrect. I mean shocked! I’d written to my friend, slightly despondent, and was more than willing to just walk away not wanting to censor myself or my thoughts, and I told her as much. She wrote back several days later, pointing out the obvious problems with the rejection, all of which I knew and understood, but she then wrote, “I’m not sure why I’m writing this, but I hate to see you burn that bridge”... a sentence that gave me pause, a sentence that kept reverberating through my consciousness until a chord was struck and I eventually reached down deep and wrote a most profound story, a story which I wouldn’t have attempted without my newfound friend’s unknowing prod. And there it was... this gift, this wonderful gift from someone I barely know, but a gift that made me a better person, a better writer, and the story I wrote might indeed touch people in a way in which they’ve never pondered, too. And I was able to thank her for this precious gift, this gift which cost nothing, just time.
The second I received came from an old friend with whom I’m working on a most unique business. We’ve been working on this project for a year and a half now and the association has proved to be beneficial on several levels, all for the good, both internally and externally. And it was during this holiday season he and I met to have a face to face as we’d both been busy on separate entities for some time, not having the time for personal visits. I thought this would be just a “hello” and a quick conversation, but short shrift isn’t what I got. My friend pointed out our surprise meeting some years back, when we’d reconnected after a thirteen year vacancy in our long standing friendship, realizing at the time that we both represented the ying to the others yang, seeing there was strength in our alliance and a potential for making something really incredible, then the work began. He pointed out our initial meeting and also pointed out that here we were several years later and in that time, we’d accomplished what we’d set out to do, no easy feat as this project is way outside the box. And his unveiling this nugget warmed my heart like nothing I’ve had for many years. What was his gift? Friendship. Caring. Understanding. Celebration of several years of many wonderful gifts exchanged which have made both of us better people in the grand scope of things. And he presented it to me in a true gesture of friendship and happiness. The greatest gift. What did it cost him? Nothing. Just time.
So, a great Christmas season was had by me by virtue of these two gifts, and there were others too, small acts of kindness that just warmed my heart beyond belief. Could it have been any better? Yeah. I could’ve had someone to share it with. But I know by building character through these two exchanges will make me that much more worthy when I meet that special someone.
Time. Such a precious commodity. How we spend it, another.
The gift I have for you? Take time to listen to friends, family, loved ones. Really listen. Really care. And then, in turn, mean what you say. Give where you can. Be there. Really be there. Better the human condition. The ripples will continue to fan out and touch many more than you can believe. What will it cost you? Nothing. Just time.
My gift to you.
And what did it cost me? Nothing. Just time...