Now for a bit of waxing nostalgia<(actually, that sounds rather like a disease.)
Anyway, sweet memories of youth...there's nothing like it...the weeks of anticipation of the upcoming holiday...playing hide & seek (and getting lost) while the family traipses around a Christmas tree farm searching for just the right tree...wrapping presents with that tape that has this scent which always makes me think of Christmas even now...all the sparkles, glitter and wonderful commercialism....throwing up Christmas morning because your Mom insisted you eat something BEFORE opening presents and your stomach, having been in knots of excitement and anticipation, well, you get the picture...leaving beer and cold shrimp for Santa on Christmas eve...ah, I remember it as if it were yesterday (instead of tonight/tomorrow! :)
‘The Adoration of Vinnie Jones'
Falling in love again, never vanted to, vat am I to do...
I created a Christmas card a few years ago when I had a crush on Mr. Jones.
It was probably blasphemous, as every face in the nativity was that of a photoshopped-in Vinnie :)
I can’t find it now, though.
Anyway, he was my 'man of the hour' back then (like about 3 December’s ago) but I am fickle. Not with real people, only actors. Which are real people (I think, unless they are all cgi), although they are kinda like imaginaryish. Or something. In reality, I am quite a devoted person to those I care about, regardless of how I may be treated by them, and perhaps shouldn't be so.
Meh.
Anyway, I still love Vinnie. He has just been moved to a different section of my heart for the time being.
I wouldn't want to ride a train with him though. I am still hesitant about riding trains now, as it is. Specially at midnight. Pfft, as if!. And, thanks to Vince Noire, I am hesitant when eating bananas. I check them carefully lest I ingest tarantula eggs.
What is it with these Vincents?
*sigh*
K, these are some of the ideas Vinnie inspired in me-
Drive thru Santas and more...
I have this idea, there should be drive-thru Santas. With all the germs and little leaky bottoms children are wont to have, I thought this would be a healthier alternative.
Santa sits in a booth with, let's say, a Rudolph head (not a real one of course) as the microphone where parents can pull up and children can speak into said microphone, telling Santa what they want for Christmas and the like. A candy cane dispenser will automatically eject a cane for all those good girls and boys and a camera (possibly inside Rudolph's eye), can snap a picture if the parent so desires and photo impose it (photo of child) on a preprinted Santa picture. A money box for 'donations' will be located at the end of the visit a few feet ahead, with Vinnie Jones dressed as Mrs. Claus with a large rolling pin standing guard. If a donation is not made, further down the driven path, a troop of a dozen or so chimpanzees dressed as elves will run from the forest (oh yes, it must be in the suburbs, if not, I suppose in the city bums (as in homeless) can be substituted) and tear off your cars windshield wipers, rip landau roofs, smash headlamps etc., and then run back into the forest (or alley if city.) If the parent tries telling the police, what are they going to think of such an explanation? Anyway, that is my idea.
Now, if you are more of the religious sort, there can be a living drive-thru nativity where the holy family waves to the children. There can be a Jesus or Mary microphone where all can confess their sins and wish for world peace. A photo can also be taken of your child photo imposed amongst the shepherds. There will, of course, be a money box for 'donations' and Vinnie Jones will be dressed as a centurion holding a large spear and scowling. Either that, or a shepherd with an uzi doing that 'alalalalal' sound and firing into the air. It's a good thing.
That brings me to my idea of a drive-thru confessional. A priest inside hears your sins and passes out a small, disposable cupette of wine and a cracker, possibly even a piece of cheese shaped as Jesus, to go along with it. Of course, there will be no seconds, and a guard, most likely Vinnie Jones, will watch for winos, under-aged and freebie-ers.
Good ideas all, don't you think?
God bless us everyone....
No, this is not a global sneeze response, it is about one of my favorite Christmas stories by dear Mr. Dickens. And what a great story it is, and by that I mean "A Christmas Carol."
I was contemplating the idea that if the 3 Christmas spirits (and I do not me gin, whiskey and vodka) made visits more often, perhaps history would be a lot different.
Maybe, and I do not mean to make light of this, if they had visited say Adolf Hitler, he would have stayed with painting and there would never have been world war 2.
Perhaps if they would have visited, say, President Bush, maybe there would be no need of soldiers ever having to go to Iraq or the Middle East.
I myself have made mistakes, of course not earth shattering ones, but errors nonetheless that I have regretted, even without the visitation of spirits of any sort, liquid or otherwise.
In other words, if we knew what the outcome of our actions would be (and were reminded of our past) perchance we would do things differently.
It would mean looking at the big picture.
How our actions effect the world.
How our actions effect others.
Not just in a selfish personal agenda.
Plus, seeing all those miserable souls chained to their greed floating for all eternity in what I assume was limbo and never being able to make amends, might just change ones principles while one still can.
Although I am sure there are those who will never see the error of their ways or admit their faults or mistakes. To do so would tarnish their self image. But enough of this and back to Mr. Dickens.
I rather like all of his stories. Did you know, he used spontaneous human combustion to kill off a character named Krook in his novel "Bleak House." Krook was an alcoholic, perhaps imbibing too much of the above mentioned liquid 'spirits', and so said, became somewhat of a human molotov cocktail.
I think I like his stories because they concern morality.
Not always happy stories, but then how many people actually live happily ever after? There is always good with bad. If not how would we know the difference. How would we know happy without being sad?
So, in the end, maybe all things happen for a reason.
Perhaps there is some basic ultimate plan.
I really don't know.
Maybe the strings of many different realities are wound together with each alternate decision made forming a thick rope of possibilities overlapping. Possible outcomes for every decision, already made, predestined.
I don't know if that makes sense to you, but it does to me.
I think I watch too much sci-fi.
Anyway, I will try to write here more often. I have been lax lately.
Oh, and in the immortal words of Tiny Tim, "God (or the diety of your choice) bless us every one!"
And one more (yep, I write a LOT. And I know, what I write can seem somewhat preachy, but it's not meant to be. They are just my thoughts and opinions, and as such, might suck :)
It is interesting that Christmas was elevated to a religious holiday. But such was done with many 'pagan' beliefs.
Before Christianity the winter solstice was celebrated at this time. Many ancient beliefs, celebrations and symbols have been absorbed and converted into Christianity. This was done to placate the people and make Christianity more acceptable to them.
Most religions are based on parental figures. God and/or gods=father/mother. (Governments/leaders use the same principle.)
When we are children we rely on our parent/parents (father/mother) to guide us. Children are punished or rewarded by parent/parents according to their deeds. Most of us never grow up and continue to rely on these parental figures. It is far easier to let someone else tell you what to do and what to believe in. Someone at some point in time picked up on that. It was a good manipulative tool. Religion uses guilt as well as the reward/punishment system as control. It also makes promises that are speculative. That are not based on any concrete evidence. No one knows what happens to us after death.
I guess I just don't like the idea of being told what I should believe. I would rather search for answers myself. I sometimes think I know what I would like to believe, but
my past experiences with religion has caused confusion. I was raised in a "Christian" household. I went to Sunday school as a child. When I grew up, I noticed that church was where people went to be absolved of sin, then went back out and sinned again until the following Sunday, so they could be continually "cleansed". It was crap. No human can absolve another. You are responsible for what you do as an adult and that is that. I eventually stopped going to church because it was a farce. Many members apparently had a lot to repent and went "religiously" every Sunday.
My mother used to try and persuade me to go to church. I used to recite to her "who builds a church within his heart and takes it everywhere, is holier by far than he who's church is a one day hour of prayer." That kept her from ‘preaching’ it to me.
Anyway, basically religion is about what happens to us after we die.
Who knows? Maybe at our death our brain, while it is still functioning, gives you your final belief. Whatever you believe happens to you, does. It is merely our final thought.
Or, maybe we have souls. Maybe it is the energy, which is never lost, that continues on. But, is it sentient?
It could drive you insane. I guess it is easier to just have someone tell you what to believe, or just to forget all of it and live your life in the best way you can.