The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Sure, we aren’t even half way through September, it technically isn’t even fall yet, but I say it’s time for Christmas. Yesterday I listened to the Carpenter’s Christmas album while driving to church. I know some people like to wait until after Thanksgiving to break out the Christmas gear, but I say why wait? Or maybe I ask it rather than say it. Doesn’t matter to me, the bottom line is that it is never too early for Christmas. Last year was interesting; I was at my college apartment for Christmas. It was too expensive to fly home for only a two week break. I thought I’d get really into Christmas like I usually do, with music and movies and candy canes and stuff, but I never did. I had a Dr. Seuss’ Grinch moment when I realized that Christmas, as far as the traditional celebration parts of it weren’t the same without family around. Happily, I spent Christmas day with my friend’s family and it was great, but the weeks leading up to it weren’t as cheerfully celebratory as I had expected. Traditional Christmas is great, the music and movies and candy canes, as I mentioned, are all fine. The heart of Christmas is the observed celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and what his life represents to all of us. The History channel never fails to remind us of the pagan traditions mixed with this holiest of holidays in the Christian world, but I don’t care. Pagan or not, the tradition stands today as Christmas and for me there is a recognition of Jesus Christ. I think I will try to incorporate more reverence this year though. The Christmas season and spirit to me is all about faith, hope and charity. If you are a Glenn Beck supporter or hater you probably recognize those three topics. Or perhaps you are familiar with these three topics grouped together by the apostle Paul in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians in the New Testament. Paul gives charity top billing in this section. Charity is love, pure love, the kind of love that God the Father and Jesus Christ each have. Christmas embodies faith in something bigger and better than self, it embraces hope in mankind and overcoming physical weakness in drawing closer to God and it is fueled by love, or charity. There are many people out there who live faith, hope and charity every day of the year. There are others of us who are lucky to focus on these things at least during the Christmas season. So I say why not start the Christmas cheer three months early? Why not keep the decorations and candy canes out all year? Would it keep us acting more charitable in March and April if we did? Or would we get tired of it and not even improve ourselves in December? Would it reduce the sales numbers in late Fall so that’s why we seasonalize it? To keep it fresh every year and sell more? I guess there are some pagan traditions that have crept into the celebration that I could do without. Well, to each their own, but I will be listening to Christmas music from now until whenever, and I will enjoy it. And I hope that I can remember Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch so that I can remember the change in their lives and recognize that such changes are fully possible through faith in Jesus Christ, whose birthday we are celebrating with the holiday (or are we?). People can change of their own volition; however, I think the full, long lasting, most beneficial change for good, the true, honest change of heart comes only through the healing power of Jesus Christ. So I say Merry Christmas, even in mid-September.

Yellow Watermelon!?

Apparently they make yellow watermelon. And my mom grew it in the garden. Then I ate it and it tasted like regular watermelon, meaning the reddish type you buy in the store. What a life changing event. Along with this watermelon experience I went to MusiciansFriend.com to buy a set of acoustic guitar strings and ended up with a new guitar. You see, they are giving away a free acoustic guitar (MSRP of $159.99) with the purchase of 8 sets of strings. Now, 8 sets of strings don't come cheap, we are talking $110. I don't have a job, so dropping that much money on strings would be ridiculous, that is, unless I got a free guitar with it. Which I did. And I've got it all figured out, Kramer-style. I'll sell my current guitar which I hope I can get around $300 for. The free guitar isn't quite the same level of quality as the one I have now, but it will serve the purpose for which I want it. This means that in the end I will end up with a perfectly functional acoustic guitar and 8 sets of bronze coated D'Adario .11 gauge acoustic strings and just under $200 cash. All of that in place of my current acoustic guitar with 5 old strings and one empty string spot (the high e just snapped today). As long as I'm doing my figurin' correctly, I'm making out like a viking in a neighborhood of sissy-boy gold refiners. If that's even a thing.
Finally, two words (names, actually): Seinfeld, Banya.

I Don't Want to Work or Bang on a Drum All Day, Now What?

If not for my love of modern convenience and comfort, such as Subway, deodorant and hot water indoor plumbing, I think I'd like to be a 19th century farmer. Since returning home from college almost two months ago I have been able to spend a lot of time outside cutting weeds, trees and anything else that grows and belongs to the plant kingdom. I've been digging up and relocating dirt to areas where it is more beneficial. It has been great. I love working outside, even when it is 85 degrees (Fahrenheit, in case you are reading from outside the U.S.) and super humid. I don't mind sweating, I just drink a lot of Gatorade and water. I haven't really worried about money, I have a little in the bank and my parents aren't charging me to live with them. I suppose if we worked it out I'm paying rent through my grounds keeping labor. But we aren't keeping score. The point is that I haven't had to pay attention to money. It has been nice. I looked at my bank balances today and realized that I need to get back into the job seeking. I don't mind working, I like to work, but looking for work is what I mind. Employers want schooling and work experience. I have both, but not on the same topic. And in most cases neither my schooling or my work experience match what I'm looking to do now. So then what? In a perfect world maybe my schooling, experience and work interests would all line up, but they currently don't. I don't want to just bang on a drum all day, I don't even want to strum my guitar all day, a few hours is nice, not even hours, maybe one. I'd really like to do something beneficial and functional though. I want to contribute. And get paid. But only because if I don't get paid I don't eat. Like I alluded to earlier, I don't want to go back to 19th century farming. Did I not allude to that? I probably misused the word. Don't sweat it. I don't want to go back to farm days, but I would like to have more survivability on an individual level. I guess that isn't possible without giving up toothpaste and Gatorade.
I just looked back up at the title of this post and realize that I contradicted it quite nicely. When I typed that I don't want to work it was in reference to my distaste of the job searching. So to clear that up, I do like to work, and I do want to work, I just don't want to have to go through the hassle of not having a job and then looking for one and getting it. Forget it, the title just doesn't work with my thoughts.

Life is a Test, But It isn't Standardized

We are constantly proven in different circumstances. Because of each person's unique experiences that make them who they are, none of the circumstances we are ever in are the same as anyone elses. Even if they appear to be so. The same situation provides vastly different tests for everyone involved. Yeah, it's not that profound, or unique, but it's something I was thinking. So that's a blog.

Take a Hike

I have come to the realization that the kindest people in the world have something in common, other than that they are all kind, they like to hike. This is the only explanation I can conceive. I went hiking with some friends today; every time we passed someone on the trail they said "hi," "hello," "how's it going?" or "nice view at the top?" A few days ago I went to the store and no one even made eye contact with me. I wondered about why this is (I honestly don't think that the kindest people in the world all hike, nor do I think that all hikers are kind). I did exaggerate, there were a few people who didn't offer a greeting until after I did, and others who didn't say a word (in which cases neither did I). The best I can come up with is that there is a sense of unity on the trail. A common purpose and interest brought us all together. Friendship is bred of commonality. Or perhaps it is a sense of awkward fear of the unknown that generates a desire to unite. When you are out in the woods away from society and our learned safety zones and features (witnesses, cameras, police officers, cell phone service, etc.) you might be a bit scared. You test the other hikers by offering a greeting. If they respond you consider them safe and feel at ease. For me, I think I offer greetings on the hiking trail because of the closeness. If I don't say hi they will know it. It is the opposite of the diffusion of responsibility phenomenon. I'm the only one there, so I have to say hello. There isn't a crowd to absorb the responsibility of offering a greeting. I guess the real question would be why do I feel the need to say hello on the trail, or better yet, why do I keep typing trial instead of trail. I've noticed it a few times so far, but I might not have caught it everything, and spell check won't catch it, so if you saw it and were confused, that's the story. What was I saying? Its not important. Bye.