Christmas. The very utterance of the despised word sends the painful tinny strains of "The Little Drummer Boy" crashing around in my head. Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum, indeed...I guess I liked the holiday when I was younger, and it seemed more magical. I had more of a sense of wonder back then, and was easily open to the bogus suggestion of the huge, jovial man in the large red suit, that could defy logic and science by squeezing his ample butt down the abnormally small hole that was our chimney. Sure...back then it was _easy_ to believe. I hadn't heard those goddamn christmas carols for the last 31 years of my life, the same ones over and over, getting worse with each repeated remake. 

And I swear to God, if I hear "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" again in my life I'll choke the person that's subjected me to it. 

As you can well guess by now, I'm a bit of a scrooge. This could be because there's been this steady incursion of Christmas into the rest of the year. It seems to come earlier and earlier. I can remember when the ornaments and seasonal shopping lanes didn't go full on tilt boogie until after Thanksgiving...Now, I'm lucky if the shit doesn't hit the store shelves until September. The music starts in the local strip malls earlier and earlier as I get older as well. It also gets crappier. Adding a rap beat to "oldies, but goodies" doesn't make 'em any easier to swallow, people. 

I think my hatred for this most obscenely overgaudy of holidays came to a head when there was a riot at the local Wal-Mart. The police actually had to get involved. Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself at this point, what could possibly incite the citizens of Virginia to become violent enough to call the authorities to squelch the din in a Wal-Mart? The culprit was that odious furry little bitch, the Furby. Apparently, tons of people showed up during a shipment, and crowds still being what they are, people started attacking one another to get their grubby, greedy little "children's every desire fulfilled" hands on these beasties, and store personnel couldn't handle it. At least, that's my take on the whole thing. I don't know the whole story. Any holiday that encourages people to riot over a trinket that'll "Make little Johnny's every Christmas wish come true" disgusts me, quite frankly. Not to mention the fact that the closer it gets the the actual holiday, the nastier people's temperament gets. I've had people spit at me in anger over the most petty of issues - in the need to "share a little of the Christmas Spirit", I guess...at least there's still Halloween. I'd like to think the original Christmas Spirit that I was privy to as a child still exists...unfortunately, the rotting carcass that is Christmas present tends to waft it's nasty fumes over anything resembling the original intent of the day. It's no longer a "religious" holiday, as much as an excuse to get completely tanked and drive an automobile into a tree, or, better yet, for your kids to give you inordinate amounts of grief over the fact that you have to get them everything they want in order to be appeased on Christmas Day. 

Bah-Humbug you say? At least I try to give a little leeway to my fellow man, and I'm usually pretty damn polite...I don't throw shit at people because they won't get out of my way, and if somebody cuts in line in front of me, I'm pretty maganimous about it. If only everybody else could get their heads out of their butts around Christmas, I think the holiday would make a comeback in the eyes of many of the people that, like me, close our doors and ears each year, hoping that it'll all just go away quickly. 

12.24.02 

Christmas. Still hate it.

This should, of course, surprise no-one.
 

FICTION:

Jhada and Argent || The Model and the Mad Scientist || Gabriel || An Unlikely Pairing || The Worst Porno Story Ever

POETRY:

No Longer Angry || Depression || Run with the Moon || Love is a Virus || BloodDance || Diamanda || Murderer || The Watcher || Confusion || Dream || Romeo is Bleeding || Cribdeath || HoPeLeSs || Soulmate || Darling || Illuminate || Madness || Insecurity || Fear || Angel || The Job || Pathetic || Shard of Hate || Thin || Departure of Friends || Empty Life || Kindred Spirit || Why Bother? || Loss of Control || Lonely Girl || Loss of a Dream || Damaged || Done|| Excision  || Missing You || Jhada|| Hope ||  Reflection ||  History Repeating

TIRADES:

Sucky Movies || Relationships || Marriage || Shortcomings || Parents || Monstrous Brats || Barbie's Newest Trauma || Babies in Trashcans || Religion || Listening || Public Facilities || Choices...|| Grieving || Legalize Prostitution ||  Sports VS Public Service || Y2K || Abortion || To Buffy, or not to Buffy? || Enough with the HATE Already! || Christmas|| Valentine's Day || Love in the 90's || The Big Trenchcoat Freakout || Keeping Up Appearances || Presidential Scourge|| Legislating Safety || Anti-drug commercials || Dating || Annoying Anonymity || America West || The Great Bug Debacle || Smoking || Anthrax, anthrax, anthrax || The USA Patriot Act