MY LIFE

Here in the United States and around a large part of the world, today is Christmas.

I am spending the day working because I don’t observe Christmas.  It has a history of unfortunate and unhappy personal memories, along with mounds of religious connotations that no longer make sense.  If the religious world could keep their silly myths to themselves and just let the rest of the world enjoy the winter holiday as it used to be (a nature-based seasonal celebration) that would be great.

When I was a kid, summer was spent at the YMCA.   And on swimming days, we could almost always count on Charles and Charlene pooping in the pool (they were problem children and didn’t get that you couldn’t poop in the pool).    And when their surprises were found, the counselors had to take everyone out of the pool, fish out the offending turd, and wait for the chemical dude to restore safe swimming conditions.

Before the offending turd was found, it was already busy contaminating the waters of the pool, but nobody noticed it right away.    If everyone decided to poop in the pool, it would be known as the place to poop, not the place to swim and have fun.   Rational people know you don’t swim in the toilet.  But once the poop was found, everyone had sense enough to get the kids out of the pool, for the same reason that you don’t swim downstream from a manufacturing plant or sewer outlet. Doesn’t matter if it is one little turd, or a whole septic tank of ’stuff’ — even a little contaminant will ruin the whole.

Some people might be offended by the analogy, but knowing what the earlier winter celebrations were about, I think the Jesus in a Manger story superimposed onto the celebration is like the poop in the pool.   Not knowing the pool is contaminated, people continue to swim in it and don’t understand other people’s refusal to jump in.

Those who claim that “Jesus is the reason for the Season”, and want to “Keep Christ in Christmas” are the ones not knowing the true nature of the winter holidays and only see their own version of it.   If they want to celebrate that way, it’s their own business.   I have no reason to go near the pool at all until it is sterilized and made safe from the contamination created by religious people pooping in the pool.