Marketing gurus in America perform a neat trick that cleverly links "holidays" with spending hard-earned cash on meaningless crap. If you are someone (like me) who doesn't buy into the bullshit, then you are a heretic. I can live with that.
I'm heretical on several levels.
The first and foremost being religion. I am not a devout follower of any religion. I see no reason to believe in a higher power other than Mother Nature. She can wipe my sorry little ass off the planet with one bat of her eyelash if she chooses, and she doesn't require oddities such as human sacrifice, mass, confession, Sundays spent staring at a wall while a man (or woman) drones on about hellfire and damnation, prayer, meditation, or really anything at all. If she wants me to die, then I die. There is absolutely no recourse. I'm fine with that. That's life.
I am always startled when religious and non-religious people all rush out on Black Friday for an orgy of spending. I don't know if this is supposed to appease Jesus, Mother Nature, Buddha, President Obama or some other entity; but the marketing geniuses have cleverly worked guilt into the equation. You are a bad son/daughter/sister/brother/mother/father if you don't buy many many gifts for the people in your life. Christmas is the season for giving (with your wallet mainly) and please make it something expensive!
Then there is Zombie Jesus Day (Easter for the lay-person); a day when kids all over America hunt boiled eggs, open plastic candy-filled eggs, and search a basket for the all mighty toy! Let's not tell them that Easter is actually an ancient celebration of rebirth and renewal that Christians have twisted into their religion for their own use. But I really fail to see what bunnies, chickens, and zombie Jesus have to do with candy and toys.
There are non-religious examples as well. Mother's Day and Father's Day. I don't celebrate either day. Does this mean I don't love my mother and father? No. I love them very much. I even appreciate them. It just means I don't feel guilty about not buying presents. I called my mom yesterday and wished her a happy day. Not because it mattered a damn bit to me (as most socially accepted things do not) but it mattered to HER. I couldn't talk long because I had a migraine and I was certain I was about to vomit from the pain, but once I told her that, she chatted away and didn't expect me to say much. And didn't object when I said I had to get off the phone because I was going to be sick. She was just as happy as if I'd bought her flowers or a present. A gift of time is more important than a gift of money, at least to me. The marketers would have you believe otherwise. Yes, BRIBE your way into your mother's heart.
Valentine's Day is an abomination. Yep, I think most Americans do wait until that one day in February to tell their wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend that they love them. And they don't say it with gestures and words, they say it with money. "Don't you see I love you? I spent $50 on roses, and we're going to dinner somewhere expensive!" Is it any wonder half of all marriages end in divorce? Roses and expensive dinners aren't going to open up any sort of communication. And, since Jon and I often get our wires crossed, communication is the key.
I'm proud to be a heretic.
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