Christmas Rant...sorry

Okay. Seriously guys, you've just gotta let this go. It's just so pointless. I wasn't going to say anything but I just can't listen to it anymore. I want to. I want to just ignore the whining and the drama and the anger and the ignorance and the denial and the intolerance. I really, really, really, do.

I just can't.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Not everyone who celebrates Christmas celebrates Christmas for the same reasons or the same way. That is called diversity. It's a good thing. Nobody has a patent and exclusive rights to the variety of holidays and rituals observed in the month of December. When someone says something other than "Merry Christmas" during December it is not an insult to you, it does not ruin Christmas, and it in no way takes away from the value of your faith or religion. It's just a greeting.

Apparently, this is somehow an insult? Seriously?

Why do people have to say exactly what you say when they greet someone in December? Why is that so important to you? Why do you get so sad/angry/upset when an otherwise nice person tries to say "hello" to you with a fairly traditional and inclusive greeting? They don't know your faith. They don't know anything about you, so they err on the side of something open and inclusive that respects that you may not celebrate Christmas. They don't know. Why is that a bad thing?

Nobody is upset about this though. Why? Why is this okay?

I mean come on!

Are you really so well-off, so incredibly blessed, so amazingly disconnected from real hardship, real pain, REAL problems that this simple greeting is so insulting? There are people who do not know where there next meal is coming from. There are people who are being shot at right now. There are people who are trying to drink themselves up to the courage to kill themselves. There are people who should be studying for a final rather than rant-blogging.

"We haven't eaten in 3 days"

Do you have people in your life that love you? Have you eaten recently and do you know where your next meal is coming from? Do you have a roof over your head and three or more walls around you? Are you allowed to worship what you want with little or no chance of being killed/maimed/raped/beaten when you walk out of church?

If not, email me. I know people who can help. Many of them are local churches, charity groups, therapists, and outreach programs who may or may not greet you with "Happy Holidays". They can help. I hope the greeting thing isn't a deal-breaker to be nice to you.

If you do, then please, dear God, please, let it go. It's not important. We just celebrated a holiday dedicated to being thankful. Be thankful you can celebrate at all, do so in whatever way it is you want and let people greet you however they want. It doesn't hurt you. It doesn't take anything away from you. You don't have to like it and you can say whatever greeting you want right back.

And anyone who is insulted when you say this is a butt-head anyway.