Our House (and Merry Christmas)

Nativity, by Carl Bloch

My family was probably very normal for a post-war/pre-war generation. I was a Baby Boom caboose (if cataloging eras is helpful), and grew up watching soldiers die in battle and return home in coffins draped with American flags, the first war fought in living rooms, as they then said.

I'm sure some will look back at the 60's as idealistic nonsense, but it was what it was, and will never be otherwise.

Some truths about my generation:

• Mom and Dad paid their taxes without grumbling. I remember them each year collecting their receipts and forms on the kitchen table and preparing their return.
• Dad went to work if he was breathing.
• We dressed up and went to church each Sunday, morning and night, and often Wednesdays for prayer meeting.
• We prayed before dinner. In fact, we prayed before every meal, no matter how small.
• We respected police officers, teachers, ministers, and other leaders.
• We went to bed early.
• We never heard a cross word directed at others based on their religion, color, wealth or anything else.
• We kept our small middle class house neat.
• We said please and thank and you're welcome.
• We welcomed Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.
• We got it worse at home if we got in trouble at school.

There are lots of "back in my day" reflections around. Every holiday is fixed in them. Adding one more isn't rehashing the familiar and trite so much as contributing to a sacred canon.

I've long since learned that what I thought was normal behavior is not practiced by everyone. Too bad, because for good or ill, it instilled values and manners that can be learned no other way.

Our house, in the middle of the street...

c0

Chinese nativity

And Merry Christmas.

FWIW, I think it began winding down around Dec 10, when stores started clearing and condensing shelves, and morning news shows turned to 2014-in-review stories.

I guess by Dec 10 we've already had enough of Christmas and are ready to look back at the trail of crap behind us.

That's what happens when you remove the matrix that holds the tinsel and holly together.

I don't blame the world for getting tired of it. It's like eating all the icing off a birthday cake. Even once a year will make you sick.

[2014-12-15]

c0