Oh, the holidays

The sounds of December days are muffled under a blanket of snow, whether the gray and white days of falling snow, or the sunny days of blue skies and glistening snow. In the meadows few animals are seen. Only their footprints are revealed, in meandering lines that originate somewhere unseen and go to places unknown. Grasses nod their heads of grain, inviting flocks of passing birds. Cardinals, so secretive throughout the summer nesting season, now flaunt themselves on backyard feeders, and sprays of wild roseberries add a decorative touch of red to roadsides and hedgerows.
The nights of December fall dark and early, and houses twinkle with strings of colored lights. Back porches are stacked with firewood, and the crystalline air is delicately scented with wood smoke. Inside, homes are filled with firelight and candle glow, and ovens yield old family recipies, while outside, the drifting snow fills the valleys and covers the rooftops.

This all sounds so wonderful, peaceful and comforting......................................

OK, now back to reality.

Most people , this time of year are waiting for the blitz days of savings at their area stores, the true start of their holiday season. They will line up in the pre-dawn hours the day after Thanksgiving, pushing and shoving their way into the stores as soon as the managers key hits the lock. Then, watch out! It is a free-for-all of grabbing, stuffing into shopping carts and rushing on to the next aisle..........kind of like an out of control mob of looters in a smash and grab frenzy after some disaster.
The background cacophony is made up of sterile Christmas music, the ceaseless ringing bell of a Salvation Army volunteer asking you to donate money, car horns, car alarms, sirens of all types and the cries and wails of overtired children demanding that you " buy me something. "
Thanksgiving is the the eve of this over- commercialized, basterdized debauchery. Thanksgiving used to be a time of families to gather, enjoy each others company, a good meal filled with special treats, love and laughter. That has been replaced, for many, with getting the ads from the newspaper, spreading them out on the table and making a battle plan of shopping the blitz day sales that would make a WWII general proud. Armed, not with the weapons of war, but with debit and credit cards, eyes steeled with determination of obtaining as much of the sale merchandise as they can carry, and God help you if you get in their way.
What has happened to the holiday season, when giving gifts was a sign of love for one another? It has spiraled down into a competition of gluttony, attempting to buy the the love and affection of those close to you, to demonstrate by spending beyond your means the " love " you have for someone, of buying instead of making your holiday meal.
Gone are the days of spending your time instead of your money, making with your own hands and heart, a special holiday rememberance for some one you care for. Just what are these people going to do when the economy crumbles under the weight of overspending with fiat currency? The depression that is sure to follow will make the depression days of the 1930's look a picnic on a warm summers day. Most will not have a clue how to survive when the local grocery store can no longer get their shipments of prefab, canned, boxed and frozen meals.
I feel blessed to have already known hardship, for it has made me a wiser person. One, who looks and plans ahead and puts away for the hard times that are sure to come. Who knows, maybe when the dust settles from an economic and political collapse, we liberty minded, freedom loving and self sufficent folks will be the majority of those that are left.