Christmas Inside Us All

reply to post by orangetom1999

If anyone should be bitter it would be Redneck. I salute them for holding up so.

Sorry about that Redneck....remember what I said about not being very tolerant of some things?? My apologies for derailing the thread.

Eau Contraire

I have nothing to be bitter about. The reason I say that is that I harbor no sense of entitlement. Neither you, reconpilot, nor anyone else on this planet owes me anything. I have been doubly blessed in my life. One blessing is sitting here trying to play 'Stairway to Heaven' on his guitar, and the other is in the shower after helping me work up a video presentation (well, actually, both of them helped on that).

And as far as derailing my thread, it is not my thread. It belongs to ATS; I only made the initial post. As a wise man once told me: "Threads evolve. Good threads do, anyway."

TheRedneck

reply to post by orangetom1999


So you think the natives are 'better off' than you ? What bull. You white boys always trot out that line about 'entitlements' when the truth hits a raw nerve .

Piddly social security hand outs are a cheap way of buying off your collective guilt . It also buys off your guilt for all the soveriegn nations your governement has destroyed ,corrupted and despoiled in the name of 'democracy' . Your churches rarely if ever question Gov policy because they are part of it.

No .you tried to do a bit of damage control while masquerading as an 'objectice observer ' . fox news uses that line , we report (lies an spin )
you decide !

Blood guilt cannot be bought off that easily . Nations born in blood die in blood .

Why do you think gun sales are through the roof ? Another civil war perhaps ? My country right or wrong ?

So I would say this to you . You cant handle the TRUTH ,so you spin it until the lie sticks like dried blood on your soul . Some stains dont wash off that easy , no matter how much money you throw at it.

My education bears no remblance to yours .

My door is always open to Santa , but not christians who steal the spirit of the season to wash away their guilty secrets with phoney sentimental garbage . It will be business as usual for the church once the corporate PR has cashed in on the guilt trip and returns to warring on the innocents for profit.

In an hour and a half from the time I start to write this, Christmas will be over.

It's not cold right now, and the winds are calm. I'm warm. I'm happy.

Christmas went good this year. There were few presents, and most of them were small trinkets, mere symbols of the appreciation we have for each other. But I did receive some gifts that can't come from a store:

I already mentioned the drama presentation where my kids were the stars.

Last night, a friend called and asked if he could come over. This particular friend I have known since 1st grade. He turned out to be gay, and was ostracized from the local society because of that fact. This past year, we met and talked and renewed our friendship. He had thought I hated him. He learned differently. I don't like his lifestyle in that respect, but I value his friendship just as much nevertheless. He came over toting a large plastic bag covered with bows. Inside that bag were four fluffy pillows, one for each member of my family. He brought his new laptop and my kids spent most of the night showing him how to use it while he and I joked around and talked about the past year and what we plan for the coming one. He left, seemingly happier than I have seen him since those tender years in school. That meant so much more to me than a pillow.

At my mother's house, we have a tradition: someone is always chosen to 'play Santa', meaning they hand out the presents one at a time. I was chosen unanimously this year. Everyone went to lengths to make sure I felt comfortable. I don't know if they knew how I was feeling, but I know I had not mentioned it to anyone outside of my wife and kids.

I have a niece who is about 3 years old now, a beautiful little girl. She has always been afraid of me. Perhaps it is the way I look, or maybe it's my mannerisms (which I have been told are intimidating), but regardless it had become a running joke. It cut a little, as I love kids, but I always just sloughed it off. While I was handing out presents, she asked for one. I replied "I'll trade you a present for a hug", expecting everyone to get a laugh when she ran to Daddy at the thought. Instead, she jumped off the couch and literally ran to me to give me the first hug I have ever gotten from her.

My son had picked out two things he wanted for Christmas, a distortion pedal for his electric guitar, and a steel lap guitar. I had just enough cash to get him those. I was sure he knew there would be presents, just not as many as usual. But when he got that guitar and pedal, the look on his face... well, let's just say it was the perfect topper for a perfect Christmas. He had expected nothing, and apparently would not have been too disappointed with that nothing.

Apparently the church we had been attending found out we were having trouble. Both children received gift cards to a local clothing store, in an appreciable amount. Tomorrow, we go and let them have fun shopping. The church also saddled us with several bags of food, including a personal favorite of mine, home-grown pecans.

My first project completed, I had been studying on a possible next one. Of course, with money so tight, it would have to be something I could construct very cheaply. Thge search seemed pretty hopeless; after all, the last project cost a few hundred dollars before it was completed. And yet I found one that should cost only a few dollars (discounting the material I have in stock in my shop) and has great potential. Tonight, I began cutting materials for its construction.

I, personally, got a new pair of jeans and a new shirt, some socks, a pillow (obviously), and a laser leveling/measuring tool set. More than some get at this time, but less than what others got, even in my family. Those gifts are irrelevant, however. In themselves, they mean nothing. The real gifts were the things that cannot come from a store. They were smiles and warm greetings, friendly people who cared enough to let us know we meant something to them, the kind words of those who live far far from us and whom we may never meet face-to-face, and the hope that comes from knowing the One whose birthday we celebrate this time of year.

So many people posted on this thread, so many people sent U2Us, so many people added warm comments to my profile... in one way, it's no more than a pattern of 0s and 1s arranged in a particular order, controlling images on an LCD screen. But it really is more. It's taking the time to say "Merry Christmas". It is taking the time to say a quick prayer. It's turning your thoughts to another person, another human, long enough to wish them well.

Posters have mentioned earlier in this thread that there is something wrong with confining well-wishes and good thoughts to one day out of an entire year. You are all correct. So tonight I make my first New Year's resolution: to continue to hold others in my thoughts every single day of the coming year, and to never forget that we are all in this chaotic jumble we call life together. I call on everyone else to do the same.

Your prayers for me worked wonderfully. May my prayers for all of you be just as effective.

Thank you.

TheRedneck

reply to post by The Redneck


Well said Redneck..well said..particularly about your two "Blessings."

Recon Pilot.

I don't think anyone on this thread is particularly interested in your guilt trip or the technique of you heaping such on others on this thread as well as myself. You might want to put it on a political thread. It is wasted here.

The topic line of the OP is not political but personal. But for some reason that seems to be the best you can do and escapes your educational resemblance. Hence I asked if you were running for office.

Thanks again to all for their posts,
Orangetom

reply to post by TheRedneck


Life is a wheel. You seem to have figured out the little secret that eludes many.You know to be thankful for what you have helped to build. And you have been paid for the work. It sounds like your family is a good one. Those don't come for free.

I wish you the best in the coming year.