That's right. Holidays are not for us...they're for the children. I really wish everyone could get that through their heads once and for all. How did this bit of aggravation come up exactly? Well, as we all know, yesterday was Halloween. Even though that rotten bitch Sandy ruined it for a lot of candy-craving-kids on the east coast, the fact is the Holiday has come and gone. So amidst the many different conversations that myself and the roommates were having, one of them mentioned something that her coworker said. I can't quote the woman because I wasn't there when she said it, but it was something to the effect of not recognizing or celebrating Halloween because it was the Devil's holiday. She said that her children would not be trick-or-treating for that very reason. She even went on to brag about the "extensive research" she did (which I'm wondering if she went past the first two paragraphs of the wikipedia version of Halloween), so she must know what she's talking about. I'll be the first to throw the 'bullshit flag' on this one (similar to a penalty flag in football, but instead of yellow, it'd be dark brown). Maybe she didn't know she could scroll down. Maybe the table of contents was far too short for an intellectual such as herself. On the contrary, maybe it was too long and she felt intimidated enough not to read any further. Whatever the reason, this woman needs a heavy dose of reality, she can eat crow for dinner, then for dessert she can have a nice big slice of humble pie. With all of that said, I'm going to list a few holidays that I believe we really need to shift the focus back to making children happy, because that's what they're all about.
Alright, so Halloween...like I said, I've already had to throw the bullshit flag thanks to some ignorant wench. I linked you to the wikipedia page already, and if you happen to read past her "extensive research," you'll find out what Halloween actually represents. The day is meant to acknowledge the saints and pay their respects to the recently deceased. In short, it's showing respect to those who have died. Obviously a lot of the beliefs from this holiday come from particular religions, so I can understand if any one person's religion is not associated with the holiday. I get that. A lot of people go on with their lives either accepting it or not giving a damn at all. Would you like to know why? Like many other holidays, Halloween hasn't necessarily lost its meaning, but it just takes on a different approach in modern society. Way back when, candles were lit and vigils were held, which is not too far from what we do now. Many of the costumes and practices reference the dead, whether it be in a joking manner or not. Candles are lit, except instead of being in skulls, they are lit in hollowed out pumpkins with creatively designed cut-outs for the light to shine through. That's all fine and well. Honestly though, Halloween is a day that licenses kids to dress up like a total jackass, go out in public with their parents walking behind them, embarrassingly claiming these disguised creatures, and they get rewarded for it by receiving five pounds of sugary, chocolaty sweets. What kid doesn't want that? Now in all fairness, there are adults that have enough of a sense of humor and an inner child that come out in their own costume efforts, which is absolutely fine. I am not questioning them at all, especially since I am one. We're not going to talk about the fact that for the past two Halloweens, I have been gigantic, walking, talking sexual innuendos, and why is that? That's because I don't need a holiday to be an idiot. I can do that just fine on my own. Allow these kids to have a night to pretend. We all get so caught up in reality that we don't even take a chance to use our imaginations anymore, so restricting children from that is passively cruel. Let kids be kids, let them dress up and have some candy. One day a year is not too much to ask.
Christmas is another obvious one. Once again...heavy on the religious background. I won't even delve into that, because whether you are a Christian or not, I'm sure you know the story. If you still don't, just google it. I'm not going to post a link to something that's so familiar to everyone. Gifts are a wonderful thing. You'd be lying through your teeth if you told me you didn't like getting gifts. If you told me you would rather give than receive, that's a different story. That's a person after my own heart. I get more enjoyment in gift-giving knowing that I can put a smile on someone's face, make their day or even create a lasting memory for that person. I put a lot of thought behind the gifts I hand out because they are well worth the time and effort in finding the right one for the right person. Honestly though, this is another thing that, whether you want to argue about commercialism and capitalism centered around a certain holiday, it should be directed at the happiness of our youth. Yea, so you're ecstatic that you got the Chappelle's Show DVD collection, a Keurig and a mechanic's tool set...congratulations. You're also an adult. You can find many productive things to do with each of these items (yes...even the tool set...). That's not what makes the holiday so special, though. How about the look on a five-year-old girl's face when she opens that huge box and realizes it's the dollhouse she wanted? What about the big set of Legos that a young boy receives? Suddenly he's wanting to be the miniature, multi-colored architect that builds his own dream house. Remote control cars, video games, board games...all of these things are meant to make kids happy. That's what we should be preaching. Sure, we as adults should be able to enjoy our time as well, but isn't it safe to say that it's a whole lot better (peaceful, relaxing, satisfactory, etc.) when the kids are pleased? Make that the goal.
One that you may not immediately associate with kids is Thanksgiving. As far as what we were all taught in school, Native Americans and pilgrims lived in perfect harmony and had a great feast together with the intent to give thanks for everything they had. That's not exactly how it went in reality, but that's beside the point. The message is clear, and that's what's important: to be thankful. It's not an easy story to correlate with giving thanks without convincing kids that all was well with the world as we know it back then. Is that what you'd consider lying to kids? I'd go as far as saying that maybe it's a little white lie, but it's not meant to harm them or their psyches in any way. We all heard the accepted Thanksgiving story, then most of us came to realize that it wasn't quite so peachy, but guess what? You're okay. Your life went on and it didn't ruin your world. If it did, see me after class, so I can recommend a good therapist for you, because you are in desperate need. Instead, think about Thanksgiving this way: this holiday is a tool for us adults to teach kids to be thankful for everything they have. Life isn't always going to hand them prizes, awards, benefits or any other wonderful thing they're acquiring as adolescents. It's best that we make sure they know to be appreciative. It will be of tremendous help to them in their futures if you really think about it. Things didn't exactly work out according to 'plan' for me throughout my life thus far, but I know I still have it a lot better than some other people do. They are far worse off than I am, and I am thankful for my privileges, possessions, the lessons I have learned, favors done for me, help I have received...all of that. It's time we pass that message along, because logically and appropriately so...they'll thank you for it later.
There are some other holidays that could qualify, but I think these stand out way above the rest. If you disagree, well that's fine...but I'm right. It must suck to be wrong...I wouldn't know. As for that...I'm thankful.
D.
| "Tussin" is slang for "reality"...so come get some, lady. |
| It's not their fault they haven't seen Brokeback Mountain...just sayin'. |
| Go ahead...open it...I'll give you a hint: it's not a unicorn. |
| Suddenly, sitting at the 'kids table' seems a whole lot more racist. |
D.
