I surprised a nice Lady (that is her name) at the doctor's office yesterday.  She asked me how my Christmas was going.  I answered honestly that I wished it was over.  She was sort of shocked at my statement but was mollified when I commented on how the commercialism overshadowed any of the real meaning of Jesus being born.  I declined to call him the "Christ" and avoided a long argument about his being Jewish and that Jews decline to accept him as the son of "God".  I didn't want to get into the argument of Joseph, the father, not being the father and why the sacrifice of "God's" only begotten son for the world's sins - correct that - for "Christian's) sins.  So, I avoided the question about the holiness of the even, recreating the joy of the little child born to save the world.  It is so sad that all the effort put into this holiday - the tree, the decorations, the presents and the representations of a super hero, Santa Claus, who manages to deliver toys to all the good children in the world by means of a flying string of reindeer and his sled filled with enough toys for all and delivered down chimneys.  This is all a little too much for me and I will be glad when it is over.

We need a new or better telephone system for our apartment and will welcome the price cuts for the post holiday last stab at commercialism in order for the business establishments to end up out of the red ink.  And, then, back to eating out in regular restaurants because the only open ones on Christmas are Chinese.

Ingrid sent me a video (called You-Tubes) of a song about eating "Chinese" at Christmas because if you are Jewish, that is your holiday meal for the family does not get together at your place for a festive meal in commemoration of all the previous Christmas celebrations at Mom's or Grand-mom's house.

Of course, this being the Holiday Season, people look towards its end cheering the demise of 2008 and the hopeful start of 2009.  There is no feasting but a tradition of swilling liquor and partying.  I don't do that either.  On both holidays I tend to be in bed early for that is my life-long practice in staying healthy.  The old song that says you work 8 hours, have 8 hours for fun and then sleep 8 hours still sounds good to me.

But this was about wishing for things you don't have.  Giving a list to Santa or his surrogates gets your hope level high but you are bound to be disappointed because when you get what you wished for it suddenly loses its glamour.  It is best not to save up for the whole year wishing for things but working out the best schedule of earning them - mostly by working for them. Actually, you really have what you think you don't have - if you thought about it.