a different little drum
as much as i abhor the commercialism of , well every goddamn thing i do embrace ritual and celebration. the freedom to observe holidays in my own way - minus the clutter of familial obligations - is one secretly, and not-so-secretly, envied by friends and co-workers. oh I know this particular time of year is supposed to plunge us into a frenzy of rockwellian competition…twinkley-eyed old folks telling tales of christmas’ past to apple-cheeked youngsters gathered round in pure adoration…dad scanning the papers, pipe clenched in his firm and capable jaw, one ear cocked to the stories he’s heard a thousand times, smiling indulgently all the same…mom shooing everyone out, out, out of the kitchen while she fulfills her sainted role as wife, mother and homemaker.
it’s just past noon and my office is functioning with a skeletal crew. all the same i have heard no fewer than five individuals expressing frustration, animosity and discontent at their holiday plans - granny refuses to fly even after a first class ticket has been purchased, alcoholic sister hiding mini-bottles of skyy in her shoeboxes, mom and dad acting like the other doesn’t exist…and on.
my heart and home are open to any one who wishes to enter with an open mind, an attitude of tolerance and expectations of a more unorthodox nature - or none at all. i’ll have a fire crackling in the fireplace, we can snuggle in front of it but my beloved kitties will be stationed there too, i’ll open a nice red wine but our stemware may not match, i’ll toss pillows and blankets about so that we can watch old movies ~ a christmas carol, road warrior, or both ~ i’ll bake teacakes, pastas and casseroles but we’ll sit cross-legged on the floor and eat picnic style; i don’t have a dining room table. you will not have to bring a present - unless of course you spy a toy you know i can’t resist, you will not have to ‘dress for the occasion’, no one will remind you - falsely - that ‘he’s the reason for the season’ and no one will care if you have hair, how long it is, what color…or if you have enough piercings to set off a metal detector in the next county.
prevention is kinder than destruction. each year over six million healthy dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are killed as surplus. remember: neuter, spay and don't let them stray!