Scrooge

Where Are We Today

Pilot Knob RV Resort

Felicity California

My loving wife Pat, has recently been jokingly teasing me about the Christmas movies that I watch, over and over again. Even some of my children have joined in. They are not the old classics like Miracle on 34th Street or White Christmas but the newer ones, what most will call sappy, mushy chic flicks.  They have also been indicating that I am some kind of "Scrooge",  which is somewhat true.

Like some people, I believe that  the true meaning of Christmas has been lost. Maybe it's that mass media we are subjected to day after day, of every retailer from A - Z, whether it's cars, clothes, kitchen sinks to...., you get the picture, vying for your dollars. Media that is directed to the youngest child that can understand to the oldest adult.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not against gift giving, I am against giving gifts that are geared to designer and most expensive got to have gifts. I guess that's today's world, that is what I see anyways.

As a kid, growing up in the 50's and 60's, there wasn't the mass media of today. The Sears Christmas catalog would arrive and I remember my two younger sisters and I going thru it and marking the items that we would like, but that didn't mean we were going to get it. This was a time when you got a toy or two and then new clothes that you needed.

My parents were middle class, my dad a maintenance worker in a factory, my mom, a homemaker and a seamstress who made clothes and did alterations for us and others,  in her basement sewing room that our dad made for her. We lived in a house and we were a one car family. When I think about it in today's terms, I don't know how they did it, mortgage, food, clothes, utilities and all the rest that goes along with raising a family.

Christmas would come, the tree would be decorated, first by my dad putting it up and then putting on the lights, then mom and us kids would put on the rest of the decorations. Presents would appear as time grew near and apprehension would build. Gifts under the tree at this point wouldn't be for us, but for friends and family. Gifts that meant something, not extravagant, but practicable. Christmas eve would come and no matter the weather, mom and dad would bundle us up and in the car we would go delivering those gifts to those they were intended for. Back home and to bed or Santa wouldn't come was the way of the night.

 Now Christmas morning had its own tradition, us kids were allowed to get up and go find our stockings, but we could not look at the presents. When mom and dad got up, breakfast was had and dishes done, beds made, we were washed and dressed and not until our dad was ready, did we go to the tree. Dad would sit and hand out our gifts one by one as we watched each other open our gifts, then they were placed back in the package with the gift tag so we could remember who gave them to us and show them to those that came to visit that day.

As an adult, when you marry, you try and hang on to those traditions and incorporate your spouse's traditions into your family.  Gift giving then expanded to your extended family, where there got to be so many that it was impracticable to buy for everyone so, names were drawn and you bought for that person, usually someone that you saw once a year and didn't know. A small dollar value was set to make it even for all, to me that was not the meaning of Christmas. After a few years, I declined to take part and would disappear when the time came to exchange gifts. Call me a scrooge.

Giving should be from the heart and to who you want to give, not who you have to give to.

This year, being so far away from family, we have said that we are not exchanging gifts. What we want is to be able to connect with them via a video call or phone on Christmas Day, we will do everything we can to make this happen. Next year we may do something different.

So, back to the movies, yes they are all of what I said about them, but to me they all talk about the spirit of Christmas not he gift giving, so I guess that's why I watch them over and over.

Remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Gifts were given to a baby with no expectation of receiving one in return. Santa Clause and all that followed came as civilization tried to carry on the idea of gift giving.

Somewhere in all of this, I became some kind of scrooge, who by the way does like Christmas, I just don't show it that much. Sometimes I think that I should go lock myself in a room around the first of December and stay there until Christmas is over. That won't happen though. It is difficult, when Pat who really knows what it is all about, gets excited and can't wait to decorated our home. 

Pat's decorating

This one too

My contribution outside

I don't believe in this political correctness nonsense, so I will not say Happy Holidays, but I will say, MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Please remember the true meaning of Christmas and thanks for following along. Until the next time, take care and be safe.