I think I am finished with my Christmas shopping and I feel very relieved about that.
These prompts were actually for two different days: Write about your favorite thing about the holidays and Write about your un-favorite thing about the holidays. I don't have just one favorite or un-favorite, though, so I'll just list them.
I love the whole reason we're celebrating Christmas and the emotions that go with it. We're celebrating the birth of Jesus, and that manger scene never fails to move me to emotion. When I was little, I felt connected to the infant. I've always loved babies, and Jesus was special in more ways than one. I don't think of him as a Savior in the manger scenes. He is a sweet, vulnerable little baby being protected by his parents in some cold manger instead of being indoors out of the night. A baby is a miracle, well, any new life is.
Beyond that, I love the music ... the carols and the Christmas songs. I like the 'feelings' of the season. People act more cheery and helpful ... well, sometimes. I wish we could have that 'feeling' throughout the year. I love the trimmed tree and the lovely ornaments. I love the soft candlelight in a church's Christmas Eve service. I love the concept of a happy, loving family celebrating together.
With that in mind, I dislike the disillusioning reality of it all. Families aren't always happy and loving.
I don't like the commercialization of Christmas. Store managers put up their holiday decorations as soon as Halloween is over. A lot of kids think Christmas is about Santa and presents. Clarissa, our little neighbor down the street, is bummed because she's not getting many gifts this year. Christmas is not about getting presents!
I also don't like the PC-ness of Christmas nowadays. When I was in the high school chorus, we had a holiday concert and we sang Christmas and Hanukkah songs and it was cool. But now, God forbid anyone should say Jesus or Happy Hanukkah in a school. Now it's got to be "holiday season" and "season's greetings" so no one is offended ... especially not the atheists who run to court over every little thing. Now we have "winter" concerts.
Well, I can still lose myself in the Christmas music the radio plays and I can watch the old Christmas movies and get back in touch with the good old fashioned beliefs and values.
When I was little, I remember my grandma and my aunts and uncles used to talk about "the old days" and how much things used to cost. I always found it a little amusing to listen to them sounding so shocked about how the prices had been going up.
Yeah, well, now it's me who's resisting the reality of inflation and the much higher cost of everything! I don't like spending a lot of money on something I remember spending a whole lot less on.
Each of the questions below begin with 'How much would YOU pay for'..........
1. a pair of dress shoes
$50.00 … is that unreasonable for ladies’ shoes? I know I was annoyed at spending around $50 on walking shoes. I better stick to Payless!
2. a pair of jeans
$35, and that’s about tops. I can find jeans at that price when I go to Walmart. Goodbye Penneys and Sears!
3. a pound of ground round
I've spent up to $2.19 a pound -- unwillingly. If it's much more than that, I just skip it. The best buy is at BJ's. I think it's $1.69 there. Or maybe I am hallucinating and the day of cheap hamburger is over.
4. a music cd
$15.00 and I don't kick too much about that. CD's are still rather new to me. I used to have the vinyl albums and then the cassette tapes. I just don't like having to convert over to something new every few years. So what is after the CD now?
5. a computer
$800 and that is probably totally out there in the Land of Oz. Heh.
6. a loaf of bread
$2.49 and that's totally unwillingly. The healthy whole grain stuff is way too much more than the 99 cent white bread crap.
7. a dvd movie
$19.99 ... see CD
8. an ironing board
$10.00 and even that is too much especially cuz I hardly ever iron
9. a hair cut
$15.00 ... I get these at the Hair Cuttery.
10. a magazine
$3.50 ... geesh, I remember buying all kinds of magazines when I was a kid. The magazines were only 35 or 50 cents an issue and I could afford them. How in heck do kids buy magazines these days ... use a credit card?
Humbug. ;-)