Some thoughts on Christmas from a Valley wise man

Out & About, by Howard Delo

Christmas is this Wednesday. Procrastinators are anticipating the last-minute panic of starting or finally finishing their Christmas shopping in time to have the beautifully wrapped presents waiting under the tree on Christmas morning.

Driving around most neighborhoods will provide some fantastic light displays, depicting everything from decorated Christmas trees to Santa with his sleigh and eight reindeer. Some houses display figurines of snowmen and elves, and ingeniously designed multicolored lighting arrays that dazzle the eye.

The office parties were held and large quantities of eggnog, both with and without brandy, were consumed. Mistletoe has been hung over doorways and other strategic locations and continues to be generously utilized.

The numbers of frantic shoppers looking for bargain turkeys, hams, or that special "Christmas Goose" are dwindling. The cookies have been baked and mailed weeks ago. The holiday vacations from school are beginning and the sledding and ice skating parties are being planned and implemented. The big day is almost here.

Now, sit down and relax. Start spending time with your family and friends and reflect on why you just went through this whole amazing, socially dictated, stress-inducing experience. Think about why this holiday began.

The Christmas holiday exists because the Christian religions, a long time ago, decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Non-Christians might argue with my description of Christ. Atheists will say there is no god. For those who decide not to or refuse to believe in the Deity of Christ, that is their choice. Sadly, all they have is the secular holiday I described above. The rest of us have these same customs of gift exchanging, eating special holiday treats, and opening presents on Christmas morning, plus the rich tradition of the religious "reason for the season."

The fact that Christ walked the earth 2000 years ago is supported in historical documentation free of any religious affiliation. Many of the things He did and said are also documented in secular history, so denying His existence is denying reality. Recognizing His Deity requires an act of faith. The choice is yours. Just remember, though, that the celebration of Christmas began as a religious remembrance and has evolved into the secular celebration we now, as a society, observe.

Now, before the editor decides to move this onto the religion page, I'll wander down a different rabbit trail.

Several years ago, after exchanging gifts we thought the other person would like, but in reality often didn't use, my wife and I adopted a new plan. We would each create a list of things we wanted. We would exchange lists around Thanksgiving. All or any combination of the items requested were then purchased as gifts for the list-writer. While eliminating any Christmas morning surprise, this approach also halted the pile of appreciated but couldn't-use gifts we had growing in the closet.

This system worked quite well until this year and, wouldn't you know, the problems arose with some items from my list. The "problems" required ordering out-of-state, since local stores don't handle the products. The first item, we found out, was not available because the company is relocating and won't be accepting orders until after the new year.

Time for the "B" list. My wife asked me to place the order, since I knew what I wanted. I didn't have a company name but I did have a toll-free phone number from which to order. After a half-dozen unsuccessful tries to call the number, I began checking to see if the toll-free number worked from Alaska. After another half-dozen calls to the long-distance service, the operator finally confirmed the toll-free number I had -- my only link to the item I wanted -- didn't work.

I've resorted to the "it's nice, but do I really want it" list. I hope this toll-free phone number will work. While wishing you a Merry Christmas, I'll try dialing again. Maybe I should have started sooner this year …

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist living in Big Lake. Send your comments and ideas to editor@frontiersman.com, or call (907) 352-2268 and leave a message for Howard.