Merry Christmatometer

Christmas was, and is, always a special day for me. And not because of the gifts I've received or because of the guy that's been deceased for 2022 years, but for the reason that it is a time of the year that brings many people and families together all around the world. It is a day of common unity towards a specific article of tradition and respect in the overall global communities worldwide.

A day of peace, warmth, love and joy. Of course there are always the exceptions to the rule. Over the generations the idea and concept of Christmas went from religious to commercial in less than 100 years through the promotion of Christmas merchandise and other related offerings. As a youth, my parents would bring me to church for a traditional mass held every year. As an adult, I don't carry on the traditions of my parents to my own children, but I do carry the overall message related to the event.

This is not to say that I'm out there in the streets preaching Christ and Christianity, because that's the last thing I'd ever do. In fact, you'd be lucky to get me to even remember the reason and purpose for the holiday, but I'm like most other people that get caught up in the lights and familiar sounds of the holiday season. The tradition of celebrating an event of a man during a day into an entire season of festivities.

Did you catch that? Did you notice how it went from a targeted day to an entire season? This is commercialism and consumerism at it's finest in order to involve everyone equally through a joyous festive season to introduce a brand new marketplace of product-trading and consumerism that will triple merchant sales revenues and make them rich...

Jesus doesn't "sell" very well, but Superheroes fly off the shelves!

"We need to involve the next generation of children somehow...why not start them off early with the tradition of introducing Santa Claus? He can be the kids version of the Lord Almighty Savior"!

"Hhmmm, nobody's going to believe it. It just won't work".

"I'm telling you, it'll explode! This is no longer going to be a National holiday, this is going to become an International holiday".

"What, to have some unrealistic vision of this overweight man sneaking into everyone's house in the middle of the night through the chimney to leave gifts for everyone in exchange for some milk and cookies? That's just silly".

"Of course it's silly, and that's exactly why it will succeed! Some of the most far-fetched tales are the ones that are the most successful in captivating their audiences. Just ask the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny how ridiculous they seem to us adults, but the kids love it so we adults love it".

Okay okay, I get it. I understand.

That conversation was held only less than two hundred years ago.

Fast-Forward a hundred or so years and look back at the traditions we held just 100 years ago. Now imagine 500 years. Or 1,000 years. Double that amount of time and the origins of the event is vastly different and a contrast from a day of remembrance and celebration to a shift in focus to eventually extend the event into an entire holiday season.

I am thankful for religion to have bestowed upon us the traditions and methods of remembering the past event in our history, but I will not bow down to it. It is nothing more than a catalyst or a tool to provide me with the origins of an event that developed into a festive season of food, drink, family, gatherings, laughter, love and a certain peace on earth felt around the world, and I'm okay with that. I'm old enough to remember the origins, but young enough to lean towards the spirit of the holiday season over a very merry Christmas when the last thing anyone ever thought about all those years ago was the day and event marked as anything but merry and joyous...

Gotta love subliminal messaging. It sure works like a charm, just like slo-motion magic!

One of the most popular trends of the Christmas season is the division of expression between wishing someone a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. More and more these days I seem to be noticing more individuals standing their ground with their seasons greetings and expressions. Some will say "Merry Christmas" while others refuse to utter the words and would rather choose the saying "Happy Holidays" instead.

Yeah, I get it. But I don't disrespect it, or at least I try not to disrespect it if unnecessary. That's only my opinion. I must be me...

Now you be you and go have yourself a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festive Season, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Happy Ho-Ho...am I missing anything?

Now that the day of Christmas is officially over, it's time to focus on New Years Eve for the last few remaining days of the year. The last night is always a celebration. For some it's a time to renew and restart, for others is a time for reflection and re-evaluation. It means something to everyone in their own little way. However you celebrate, celebrate! And if you don't celebrate, shazam! Welcome to my world of the preferred quiet evening at home waiting for the clock to strike midnight before I drag myself off of the sofa and into bed...

It's much easier than waking up with the feeling of a tennis ball in your mouth and mushrooms growing on the back of your tongue, but that's only on top of the demolishing headache that is sending out signals to pharmaceutical companies looking for advertising space on your forehead. You know you're hungover when even your hair hurts to touch...

I think I'll just ease back on the pedal to the metal and park this fella in the garage for the evening. It's the wise thing to do for an old guy that spend far too many New Years Evenings under the influence of anything and everything under the midnight moonlight in a basement or a garage or a studio or up on a stage sending my energy through the guitar or the drums. In todays day and age, the sofa is a much preferred way to ring in the new year.

Safety first, boys and girls. These days I don't wanna break a hip or anything hazardous to the health to start off the new year. I think I'll play it safe in the modern day, but don't be surprised if I get up and jam some music if and when someone ever asks...only because it's always an offer I can never seem to refuse. I've tried. I can't help myself, it's just in my blood. From the age of 11 years old and all the way up until my mid 40s I was captivated by the ambition to play live music on New Years Eve. I mean some serious parties with live music that it would rival any concert provided by most music artists of today. New Years Eve was an event that ended one year and began the next while I ripped a chord on the guitar or banged a beat on the drums.

Since I've had no offers to play anywhere this New Years, I plan to enjoy it all from the comforts of my sofa and experience the evening with memories and through watching others worldwide enjoying the festivities.

T-Minus and counting...

Because we're all counting...we're counting because it's currently one of the only things bringing us all together. A common thread and a common theme to cherish and enjoy as one, just as the many other events and experiences we collectively share arould the world. A commonality enjoyed by most everyone fortunate enough to feel the connection worldwide regardless of location or relation to someone halfway across the planet celebrating the same event in their own cultural ways and historical traditions. It's natural for every civilization to accept the ways of their past to help shape the ways of their future. But have you noticed just how much we're willing to accept in the modern-day? For some of us there is very little acceptance, but for some of us acceptance is everything. You choose where you feel you belong in the overall equation...

All The Best in 2023!