And so this is Christmas....

So this is Xmas

And what have you done

Another year over

And a new one just begun

And so this is Xmas

I hope you have fun

The near and the dear one

The old and the young

A very Merry Xmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Xmas

For weak and for strong

For rich and the poor ones

The world is so wrong

And so happy Xmas

For black and for white

For yellow and red ones

Let's stop all the fight

A very Merry Xmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Xmas

And what have we done

Another year over

A new one just begun

And so happy Xmas

We hope you have fun

The near and the dear one

The old and the young

A very Merry Xmas

And a happy New Year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

War is over, if you want it

War is over now

--John Lennon

Very true, Mr. Lennon, very true indeed. But unfortunately, as you say, "the world is so wrong," and that's not the way it works. How unfair. How tragic. How predictable.

And so this is Christmas, surprisingly enough. It sure doesn't feel like it. And to be frank, the holiday has very little meaning for me. It has become, as everyone knows and everyone laments, an incredibly commercialized and secularized occasion. Editorials blast the War on Christmas, and advertisements urge us all to remember the Reason for the Season.

Whatever. It's all lost on me.

I mean, do we (or, perhaps, should we) honestly need a special day to remind us to spend time with our loved ones? Do we need another excuse to shop 'til we drop? Should true Christians really require reminders about the real meaning of Jesus' birthday ("It's about God, not gifts, y'all!")?

[As a side note, I'm sick of the political correctness. Heck, I don't exactly categorize myself as a Christian, but I won't be the least bit offended if you wish me a Merry Christmas, or for that matter, a Happy Hanukkah, or a Joyous (insert any other of a myriad of religious holidays). Get over it, people. I don't care what your beliefs are--it's the thought that counts. Stop looking for reasons to get pissed off and scream "discrimination!"]

There's no real point to be made in this post. Just musings. And genuine and heartfelt well-wishes to everyone this year--regardless of your religious or political affiliation, or your nationality, or sexual orientation, or whatever other factors we use to neatly categorize people and slap labels on 'em--Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

To quote Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one."