Maybe I'm a Scrooge.

[garybeck]

Maybe I'm a Scrooge.

I don't mind the all good cheer this time of year, but I wonder why people can't have good cheer and love for their fellow man (and woman) all year round.

I don't mind Christmas movies. In fact sometimes they give me that warm fuzzy feeling.

What I don't like is all the focus on presents. All the plastic crap that is bought and sold, all the packaging, all the wasted pollution with people driving to stores to buy presents.

I'm sick of hearing the same Christmas music everywhere I go. On the radio, in the store... The first time I hear it in late November, it's like fingernails on the chalkboard. I swear if I hear that "Rockin' Round The Christmas Tree" song one more time my head is going to explode.

I don't like lying to my kids telling them a big guy in a red suit brings them presents. I can't believe I just wrote a note to my son and signed it "Santa." I'll be glad when they're a little older and we can stop pretending. Don't get me wrong. I think fantasy and pretending is great and should be valued, especially with kids. but not when we have to lie. Like when they ask me how Santa gets down the chimney and I have to make up a lie. I don't think that is a good lesson - lying to your kids.

I do get sucked in and make the rounds to the stores once or twice for some presents. And I do like giving. But sometimes when I'm out in the stores I get a nauseous feeling. Like the whole thing is just an excuse to get people to buy stuff they don't really need.

Genetically I'm Jewish. I don't think my scrooginess is all tied to my not being Christian. But I don't care for the "Christmas-ification" of Channukah with all the presents. The true story and lessons of Channukah get lost in the frenzy.

I can do without all the lights and the wasted electricity. I drive down the street and see all the crazy stuff people do, and to me it seems like conspicuous consumption. I see kilowatt-hours of electricity, and CO2 going into the atmosphere. Why don't we all just idle our cars for a few weeks in the name of Jesus? I don't see any joy in cutting down millions of trees, bringing them into our houses for a couple weeks, and then tossing them in the trash. I think so much of what goes on in our society this time of year is wasteful.

I'm not a Scrooge in regards to helping people and sharing what I have. Giving is much better than getting.

The other day a friend asked me what I'm doing for Christmas and I mentioned that I guess I'm sort of a Scrooge, because I just don't buy into it all. I was surprised when he reached out to give me the high-five and said "allright! another Scrooge!" .. like it was cool to be a scrooge. A little discussion and we realized we were on the exact same page.

I actually like the story of "A Christmas Carol" and the message it gives, but I think it makes people afraid to admit that they're not all gung-ho about Christmas, and fearful of being labeled a Scrooge.

Maybe I'm a Scrooge.

[roody]

1. Merry Every Day to you.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. What you do not like is the amazing level of consumerism

this Macy's holiday (No presents have not been the center of the holiday until very recently), is an invention of Madison Avenue.

[Riley18]

3. I would say you are wise beyond your years:)

When my kids were young we bought into the whole thing. Now I see that most of the buying frenzy is basically fueled by stores that want to sell stuff. I tried to get my kids to do a secret Santa gift exchange. Everyone started "breaking the rules" so I plan on setting ground rules in October next year. Oh, this is my first year with only a wreath and some candles, and it feels great! There were years when I literally cut the lights off trees.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. I confess

the conures this year got tops for Hanukah. They are wood, tehy are not varnished, and them beaks will like that.

[hfojvt]

5. if you don't like lying, then why do you?

One of my earliest memories was of my older sister telling me, that irregardless of what our parents might tell me, there's really no such thing as Santa.

For some reason, I believed her, and thus do not ever remember believing in Santa. I mean, she was two years older than me, so I figured she knew things. I then dutifully passed the message down to my younger siblings, so none of them grew up believing in Santa either.

We all got along just fine in life without ever believing in Mr. Kringle. Well, except for me, who became a bitter grumpy old poop that nobody loves, but I sorta think that is unrelated to the whole Santa thing. But then it makes you wonder ...


I tell people that I do the same thing every year for Christmas. I dress up like Santa, put antlers on my dog and then I break into all the houses, steal all the presents and the food and especially the accursed decorations and take them all up to the top of Mount Krumpet and chuck them over the side. I really love the sound it makes as it crashes off of rocks, bouncing and crunching all the way down.

And then every year that fat fucker with his magic powers puts it all back before everybody wakes up. God, how I hate that jolly SOB. He ruins Christmas for me every year.

Well, it's almost midnight now, I gotta get going....

[garybeck]

6. for my wife.

safe travels tonight

[HopeHoops]

7. What I can't stand are all of the remakes of Christmas songs (read on).

It seems that, like the national anthem, everybody remaking Christmas songs feels compelled to hit every damn note except for the one that's SUPPOSED to be in the song. Some of them make me cringe. Asswipes.

Merry fucking Christmas. Baa Humbug.

[Mac1949]

8. Is it just me (probably) or is being force fed Christmas music

by long deceased artists (Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, etc) in every store I go into, really kinda creepy?

[AldebTX]

9. We Even Skipped The Presents This year

We decided there was no reason to pick one day a year to load up with presents. IT's more fun to get a surprise various days through out the year. We decided to focus on spending time with friends and family.