{"id":12893,"date":"2019-12-27T11:13:16","date_gmt":"2019-12-27T16:13:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=12893"},"modified":"2019-12-27T11:13:16","modified_gmt":"2019-12-27T16:13:16","slug":"merry-every-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=12893","title":{"rendered":"Merry Every Day!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Christmas for 2019 has come and gone.\u00a0 Wow, that was quick.\u00a0 I know that some folks enjoy an extended Christmas season.\u00a0 Some based on their religious preferences enjoy the Christmas season on into the first week of January.\u00a0 But not at our house.\u00a0 The boss lady, who loves Christmas and enjoys every minute of preparing for the big day is completely done with it by the end of Christmas Day.\u00a0 By 4:00 pm on the day after Christmas there was no sign of Christmas anywhere in our home.\u00a0 The tree was disassembled and boxed, the decorations were all packed up, and all the furniture was returned to the original locations.\u00a0 So, I guess that is the end of Christmas.\u00a0 But does it really have to be?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

At the risk of sounding sappy, there is a lot of the Christmas Season and the Christmas Spirit we should all consider extending into the weeks and months ahead.\u00a0 In other words, all year around.\u00a0 Maybe it was just my perspective, or maybe I wasn\u2019t paying close attention, but it seemed to me that a lot of the rhetoric and hate speech lessened during the season.\u00a0 We certainly have enough of that going around during the entire year to last well into the next year without adding to it.\u00a0 I have seen and heard enough political hate, racial hate, and religious hate to last me the rest of my days.\u00a0 I think the redundancy of the hate messages is boring.\u00a0 You don\u2019t like Donald Trump, or you don\u2019t like white people, or you don\u2019t like black people, or you don\u2019t like Muslims or Catholics, okay, I get it.\u00a0 You have told me, repeatedly.\u00a0 But I can assure you that the repetitiveness of your message is not very likely to change mine, or anyone else\u2019s mind.\u00a0 In fact, I believe the opposite is true.\u00a0 The harder one pushes the harder the other pushes back.\u00a0 It is just that simple.<\/p>\n

Also, would it not be nice to extend the courtesies and friendliness of the Christmas season all year long?\u00a0 Obviously, we will not wish folks a Merry Christmas all year, but we can extend a friendly greeting to one another all year around.\u00a0 When you pass someone on the street, in the hallways at work, or in the grocery store, greet them.\u00a0 Greet them with friendship in your voice and mean it.\u00a0 I have seen people glance at one another and say \u201chey\u201d avert their gaze and move on.\u00a0 I guess that is better than nothing, but is that the best we can do?\u00a0 Did it not feel good when you saw someone and wished them Merry Christmas with a smile on your face, and they did the same in kind?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t you walk away from that encounter feeling just a little better?\u00a0 The words do not have to be Merry Christmas, but the sincerity and warm smile can be the same, and the good feelings that follow will also be there.\u00a0 Give it a try, it\u2019s free.\u00a0 I\u2019ll start; \u201cHi! How are you?\u00a0 I hope you are doing well.\u00a0 Take care, I hope to see you soon\u201d.\u00a0 It only took a couple of seconds to type that out so I am confident it would take even less time to say it.\u00a0 Now it is your turn.<\/p>\n

I did not mean to sound preachy when I started to write this.\u00a0 In fact, when I started to write this the oly thing I knew for sure was to \u00a0report that the tree was down and packed away.\u00a0 So, if I came across too preachy, I am sorry.\u00a0 Trust me when I say my intentions were sincere.\u00a0 But since this is the final entry to the Townehouse for this year, you have all next year to get over it.\u00a0 So, as we head into the last year of the second decade of the 21st century, may your spirits stay high and your moods stay elevated.\u00a0 See you all next year!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Those are my thoughts, what are yours?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feel free to comment, like, share, agree or disagree with this post.\u00a0 Please consider a free subscription<\/a>.\u00a0 Options to like and subscribe can be found elsewhere on the page.\u00a0 Thank you for reading the Townehouse,<\/p>\n

This material may be published, broadcast, or redistributed.\u00a0 In fact, I encourage it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas for 2019 has come and gone.\u00a0 Wow, that was quick.\u00a0 I know that some folks enjoy an extended Christmas season.\u00a0 Some based on their religious preferences enjoy the Christmas season on into the first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_daextrevo_audio_file_creation_date":"","_daextrevo_text_to_speech":"","_daextrevo_document_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-opinion"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/ChristmasTreeDown.jpg?fit=270%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12885,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=12885","url_meta":{"origin":12893,"position":0},"title":"Christmas \u2013 2019","author":"Tom Lind","date":"December 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"To my family and friends and all other readers of the Townehouse, here are a few thoughts I have had about Christmas over the past few days.\u00a0 I would like to share them with all of you.\u00a0 Sharing this article with you is my Christmas present to you all.\u00a0 I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/merry-christmas-2019-text-with-elegant-vector-22962599.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":782,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=782","url_meta":{"origin":12893,"position":1},"title":"Traditions Lost","author":"Tom Lind","date":"November 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I for one am greatly disturbed by the way we as a society have turned the Christmas holiday season into a two month (or longer) buying and selling marathon. It seems that each year the Christmas ads appear earlier and earlier. This year it started before Halloween. That means two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"Christmas shopping","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Christmas-Shopping-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11941,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=11941","url_meta":{"origin":12893,"position":2},"title":"Ghosts of Christmas Past","author":"Tom Lind","date":"December 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I am sure that everyone has seen some rendition of \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d. I have seen many versions over many years. So when I speak of Ghosts from Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future you will have a notion of what I am talking about. My Ghosts of Christmas\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nostalgia"","block_context":{"text":"Nostalgia","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=20"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/painting-repro-font-b-Christmas-b-font-font-b-Village-b-font-Guaranteed-100-Free-shipping.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/painting-repro-font-b-Christmas-b-font-font-b-Village-b-font-Guaranteed-100-Free-shipping.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/painting-repro-font-b-Christmas-b-font-font-b-Village-b-font-Guaranteed-100-Free-shipping.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/painting-repro-font-b-Christmas-b-font-font-b-Village-b-font-Guaranteed-100-Free-shipping.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":71,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=71","url_meta":{"origin":12893,"position":3},"title":"Merry Christmas, that’s right I said it, Merry Christmas","author":"Tom Lind","date":"December 15, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Merry Christmas! Merry, Merry Christmas! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! See how easy it is to say the words. I did not feel compelled, not even once to say Happy Holidays. Why? Because this time of the year is when we celebrate Christmas. On December 25th, all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=21"},"img":{"alt_text":"2F_Button_background copy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/merry-christmas-jesus-he-came-for-you-ornament-on-tree-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14403,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=14403","url_meta":{"origin":12893,"position":4},"title":"Christmas 2024.\u00a0","author":"Tom Lind","date":"December 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As I write these words on Christmas Eve, I\u2019m transported back to cherished memories of past Christmases. These moments, like the ghosts of Christmas Past, haunt me, making it difficult to reflect forward. I wonder, \u00a0is it possible to reflect forward, Perhaps I\u2019ll give it a try someday. The most\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nostalgia"","block_context":{"text":"Nostalgia","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=20"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/th122524.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":291,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=291","url_meta":{"origin":12893,"position":5},"title":"What Are You Giving For Christmas?","author":"Tom Lind","date":"December 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This time of the year is all about giving and getting. Many merchants are finally operating in the black and they get the gift of staying open for another year. Frequently you ask, or will be asked, \"what are you getting for Christmas this year?\" Depending on who you ask,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"What Are You Giving For Christmas?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/sadchristmas-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p38YRh-3lX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12893"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12896,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12893\/revisions\/12896"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}