CHRISTMAS 2018

God rest you, Merry Gentlemen.

or

God rest you merry, Gentlemen.

or

God! Rest you, Merry Gentlemen.

It isn’t Christmastime again already, is it? Gimme a break!

December – Christmas is a funny old time of the year, don’t you think? Any ‘religious’ connections it might have had seem to have gone with the wind. Images of supposedly wise men on camels don’t really mean very much today – even among the various shades of Christian. Many pay lip service to the idea of the Messiah being born in a stable but, after Christmas morning church service most come back to the hedonistic pleasures we gloried in when it was simply the winter solstice. To that extent virtually all of us are guilty.

Those of the Jewish faith celebrate Hanukkah, or Chanukah, which is a Jewish Festival of Lights holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It usually falls in late November or December on the secular calendar. In the meantime they await their Messiah.

Around the same time Hindus in the northern hemisphere celebrate their Festival of Lights, known as Diwali. According to Wikipedia, “Diwali symbolises the spiritual ‘victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.’ Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness.” It isn’t clear to me if this relates in some way to the winter solstice. As far as I can determine all the above celebrations involve feasting of some kind. And gifts. Ya gotta give gifts.

Americans and Canadians also celebrate ‘Thanksgiving’ towards the end of the year. Is there a pattern emerging here? Have we (or many of us) an in-built need to be festive and merry around the same time of the year, whether for ritualistic reasons or reasons linked to harvest?  What American marketing people refer to as ‘the Holiday Season’. Or are these events merely corporate sales opportunities? You might think that; I couldn’t possibly comment.

Then there are the lies we tell each other (and our children) to keep the show on the road, so to speak. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of The Year warbles Andy Williams, among others.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year

With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

It’s the hap- happiest season of all

With those holiday greetings

And gay happy meetings when friends come to call

It’s the hap- happiest season of all” (ignoring the reason for the season)

Santa Claus (Father Christmas) is coming!! Who he? Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Why can’t we jingle-bell all year round? Nah, it’s all about getting you to spend your money, whether or not you have any.  Put it on the plastic if you’re a bit short (and pay interest if you’re a bit short, too). And, by the way - 

There is no Santa Claus. Our parents lied to us and we continue to lie to our children, too.

Happy the man or woman who can honestly say: “I have everything I want and there isn’t anything I need.”  Mostly, ya gotta be old to say that with conviction. Mostly, younger people seem to believe that they still have a great deal to acquire before they can say it – and thus become old.

Meanwhile, I see on voyeur-vision that I can feed a child in Yemen for a week for the price of a decent Christmas card in England – and I can do it remotely and with a clear conscience while I’m stuffing myself. Incredibly, I can do it all year round if I choose to. Or I can feed a mistreated animal in this country for the same cost. Salvation Army comes in at a higher price - £19.00 – roughly the same price as a Marks & Spencer Christmas pudding and brandy sauce. And I can do this, too, all year round if I want to. The choices! The choices and decisions! They’re driving me mad.  And the January sales begin on Boxing Day or sooner, depending as they do on the end of the Summer/Autumn sales. Let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die, probably in debt.

Believe me when I say that I’m NOT MOANING. I like giving and receiving presents. I just don’t like being targeted at this time of year with adverts intended to make me feel guilty about the fact that so many others haven’t the wherewithal to give. 

One way to counter the intended guilt feeling being thrust upon us, is to give (as we see appropriate and according to our ability) all year round. Lots of people do it in many different ways. If others feel good about their seasonal charitable giving – well, great. Provided always that the beneficiaries are those in need, not the bureaucrats and collection agencies in want. It also happens to bring us in line with THE GOLDEN RULE! You know – the one that tells us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. All year round and not just at Christmas or Hanukkah or Diwali or Thanksgiving. Definitely NOT the same as the Rule of the Jungle, which seems to abound.

Try to imagine what a difference it could make, everywhere, if all of us could/would offer our assistance every week, every month, all year. 

That would be closer to my understanding of the expression ‘Goodwill to all men and peace on earth’.

Of course, none of this is any of my business. But what have you done today/this week/this month/ this year to make you (or someone else) feel good?  Just asking.

* * *

WHICH BRINGS ME NATURALLY TO NEW YEAR 2019

Twelve months ago I wished many people a ‘Happy New Year’ and many people wished the same to me.  So, how was it for you? Was it just a series of empty words and wishful thinking? Or did our mutual wishes come true? What did I do to make your New Year Happy and what did you do to make mine happy?

According to our daily news media it appears that we shall have to keep on wishing. Looking around, it seems that last year’s good wishes didn’t  have very much effect anyway. Maybe the real answer is to stop wishing and start doing something. I’m choosing to do something that doesn’t cost money but nevertheless comes with a price. It was stolen from US centuries ago. AND I WANT IT BACK!

I stand under our natural & Common Law Trial

and Annulment by Jury Constitution. 

I promise to promote it at every opportunity I have.

Will you join me?

Most Lawyers and politicians don’t and won’t join me in this activity,

which makes it a good place to begin the pushback

PS: HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

(or Happy Winter Solstice, as you see fit)