What Really Matters

There are several personality traits that infuriate me - dishonesty, ignorance, and vanity. Vanity is a hot topic for me right now. Let's paint the picture... This morning Chris and I were in Olean as we'd spent a few days back home for Thanksgiving. On the cover of the Olean Times, a picture of what looked like close to 500 idiots waiting outside to get into Wal-Mart at 5am for the morning sails. WHAT DO YOU NEED THAT BADLY?? It's disgusting that we've turned the holidays into a grab-fest for the best deal. If it's so expensive that you have to get up at 5am to get it 50% off, you probably don't need it that much.

Next, ignorance. Anyone see the headlines today? Let's take a look. Hmmm, well a ship overturned but all the vacationers got to safety. Big deal. Marion Jones turned in her medals because she cheated (which touches on my mention of dishonesty earlier). Whoop-de-doo. Another athlete caught up in the Balco bullshit. Big shocker. Some father went crazy and killed his family on Thanksgiving. Natalee Halloway is probably dead. Boo hoo. And on and on and on.

HEY AMERICA, THERE'S A WAR GOING ON!!!! It sickens me that while most of America is still waking up from the food coma of Thanksgiving, some families are being greeted with a knock on the door to be told their loved one isn't come home from Iraq or Afghanistan.



How incredibly arrogant and selfish of us to not hold our media to task on this. As long as the war, the funding of the war, the lies that lead to the stupid war, the war criminals in the White House and any other war topic are out of the news, our society is asleep at the wheel. You want to be thankful and really celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and the holidays? GIVE. If you're thinking about buying a present for everyone you work with, ask yourself how much they really need it. Do you really need another coffee mug this year? No. But I bet there's a soldier stuck in a pile of sand who could use a letter from back home. Or perhaps there's a food kitchen that could use some extra donations. I like the people I work with, but we've all got jobs so what really do they need from me this year? Nothing.

As you wander the malls filled with selfish gluttons, just remember that there are people fighting an unnecessary war, or remember those that will go hungry during the holidays. GIVE BACK...it feels so much better.