Christmas

What is on your Christmas list? In a recent ABC News poll in which they asked people, "If you could have your choice, what one present would you most like to have for Christmas?" the answers provided gives great insight to the American psyche. Forget peace and happiness because most Americans wanted either a car or computer under the tree this holiday. Although Christmas is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus, in modern America, the celebration of Jesus' birth had been replaced by commercialism and materialism. Christmas has far more to do with materialism and consumerism than anything else.

Despite every plea made by religious leaders such as Pope Benedict XVI, this holiday has nothing to do with religion. The fact is Christmas fuel consumerism because the principle message being told during the holiday season is to buy, spend, and consume.

The commercialism of Christmas is not a recent phenomenon. In 1850, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a lament that reflected a common sentiment: "There are worlds of money wasted, at this time of year, in getting things nobody wants, and nobody cares for after they are got."

Why I got nothing for Christmas?

Well, because I don’t want anything. Really. No I haven’t achieved some late in life mystical alternative state of reality or anything I just don’t want anything. I have a roof over my head, enough (too much?) to eat, few future goals I have real passion for and too many toys I don’t use now.

My Car is a 1991 Mercedes 300TE Station wagon thatb runs well enough and when I’m forced to travel all the rentals make me wish I were back driving mine instead of the 06, mitsufordhonda SUV that I bang my head getting into and handles and drives like a dump truck. Oh yeah, my car gets 24 MPG which is better than the average new car. I don’t care to get into the neighborhood competitive holiday gifting by having them observe what shiny new piece of multi-national assembly sits by my curb with a big red bow on the roof even if it’s in my favorite color and I even did ask for anything shiny this year. Oh BTW, singing the most dreadful song from the worst musical ever produced about a bunch of singing Bavarian elite refugees doesn’t motivate me to obtain a car named after a lunch meat in Korea. So forget cars.

I own may favorite guitars already. One a 57 reissue strat can quack which is all anyone can ask from a Fender and I’ve already modified so it doesn’t hum like a Theremin (I knew that BSEE degree would come in handy some day) and set it up with Roland guitar Synth. My Gibson ES 347 (like BB Kings Lucille with simpler electronics and much hotter pick ups) is one that companies most underestimated axes and is simply way too hot for the desires of most humbucker users who are searching for that muddy sound they so love. My 1973 Guild D44 was made from a pear tree whose wood has long ago been consumed for production leaving only mine and the few lost equals in the universe with a sound quality that defeats that of other acoustic guitars I’ve played with price tag 10 times what I laid out. I searched for an acoustic like that for twenty five friggin years with that sound. You get that guitar from my cold dead hand. A couple of others fill in the gaps for old timey sounds etc but those are my triumvirate. Add on a decent Yamaha keyboard and a project studio I built and my instrument cup runneth over.

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