Season's Greetings

I'm glad to be home. We spent three days at my parents house for Easter. I feel weird about Easter. I don't really celebrate Easter. I've given up on the idea that some magnificent rabbit breaks into your home to hide eggs. Why do so many Holidays involve people's homes being invaded? Technically we're supposedly celebrating the “fact” that Jesus came back to life. But if you're not into that theology, which most of the people I know are not, then that is not what's being celebrated. And if you want to continue to get technical about it, the only reason we have any idea when Jesus was “killed” is because of Passover. But if you're not into that theology, which most of the people I know are not, then that is not what's being celebrated either. Getting even more technical still, we only know when Passover is because it just so happened to occur on the first Full Moon of Spring. What a coincidence! I also found it terribly interesting this year that on the first Full Moon of Spring, there was an eclipse, and the Moon actually appeared red as the shadow “passed over” the Moon. Coincidence?! I couldn't help but think of the Passover story as I stood there, in my driveway, late at night, staring up at the Moon's “transformation.” So, for all practical purposes, at least at this point in time, we are basically celebrating the first Full Moon of Spring. Why can't we just say that? I don't understand why we have this inherent desire to attach otherwise meaninglessness to an event that is actually momentous as it is.

A few times, in the store, people said “Have a Happy Easter,” and I felt like saying “Yes, and a Happy Spring to you as well.” I'm not sure how well that would have went over. I was strangely aware of how I wanted to acknowledge the fact that a Holiday was upon us, but I didn't want to call it this thing that I don't celebrate. I kept wanting to say things like “Have a Happy First Full Moon of Spring Celebration.” But again, I was not sure how that would be taken, and I figured work was not the place to be my “normal” self. I often feel I have to limit “myself” at work because it's not really good for business. I don't want people to leave confused. I want them to leave thinking “Boy, that guy was really helpful, when I need boots again, I'm going to go see him.” I'm not really a fan of limiting myself. But when it makes sense, I don't have to work too hard at it. Plus, I realize I don't always have to be a weirdo. This does not, however, in any way, change the fact that I do feel like saying those things. In fact, every time there are moments like these, throughout the year, I find myself being more convicted in my ideas. And I will tell you, if I had to choose one of “their” ideas, I'll choose Passover over the Bunny story every f*cking time. It makes me sick that we come up with this frivolous stuff, instead of just calling it like it is. I understand it's important for us to get together every once in a while, celebrating is good. I love it! I just don't see why celebrating the seasons seems so paganistic.

People have been celebrating the seasons since people could tell the difference. I also dare to fathom, that people will continue to do so for as long as we are still on this planet, experiencing the changes. In our comparative life span, we have only been attributing these “Holidays” to religious affairs for a short time. The lack of continuity between Belief Systems gives us things like rabbits hiding eggs. Ridiculous! I feel the majority of us would be just fine celebrating Spring just like we have been, without the religious undertones, or idiotic inventions. I feel the majority of us would be just fine celebrating Winter, exactly the way we have been, except without false expectations, or made up dates. We just like to celebrate! It is part of our nature. Mexicans don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo nearly the way that we do. The “real” Irish don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day nearly the way that we do. We don't need a reason to party, but boy can we think of a bunch of them. It doesn't seem that most people even know what they are really celebrating anyway. And that too is a point of contention for me. If we aren't even really sure what we are celebrating, then what the hell are we doing? Part of me feels that the stories that we've attached to these celebrations, are going to eventually fade, which in a way is kind of sad. But if it gives us a chance to get back to the true meaning, and get us back to, or at least closer to, our natural way of being, how could it be bad? We're practically doing it already anyway.

Daughn