A lot of our soldiers won't be home for Christmas. The dead will never celebrate with their loved ones. What about the ones living right now? How many of them will return alive to spend another holiday at home? How many living soldiers will return with minds haunted by the truth...Of horrors they've survived and witnessed, of orders many followed that they knew were ethically wrong, and of the reality that there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction and that they really weren't there to liberate Iraq, but to prepare that nation for the robber barons to steal its treasures?
In about an hour, I'll be standing before the time clock, ready to swipe my card. It's an early night, just like every year. No matter the occasion, from holidays, to natural and man-made disasters, we'll get those newspapers out on the trucks and the drivers will get them to the carriers and sales racks. I'm fortunate this year, because I'll have tomorrow night off to spend with my son.
Last week, my greatest concern was convincing higher-ups that they need to allow us all to get, at least, one significant (family oriented) holiday off, especially those of us that aren't getting any over-time pay for working on the designated holidays. But then, I think of all the people that have a lot less to look forward to this year. I think of those that celebrate the various religious holidays that are missing a parent, a son or daughter, a sibling or other loved one. I remember spending the first Christmas after my sister, Candy, died. I still hadn't gotten over the grief. The holiday was depressing.
I know that the recent Ramaden has been painful for many Iraqis. I hope, they gained something priceless from their fasting and prayers. Signs indicating reasons for hope and faith that everything will get better?
I've been spending more time with my blog at modblog.com. It's called Progressively Treva. I like the blog service there. It's more user-friendly in some respects. I can't use certain preferred codes, like to justify my text, as I do here. However, modblog is created and run by some outstanding young techie geeks. One seems to be Republican and disagrees with my progressive views and such, but the other two seem to be more progressive or liberal...Or so it seems to me. There's more built-in features, like a chatterbox, ability to activate a forum, a comments section and some other stuff, plus a new user community. No commercial ads!!!!!! (I love that part). I wish blogspot.com did this without trying to turn it into a profit-motivated thing. I'm satisfied with what I have here, as far as frills go, but I only wish that blogspot users could have an easier time getting to know each other where we could communicate. Mostly, I feel like Lift The Veil is sitting here like a ship-wreck survivor on an uncharted island. Of course, I don't aggressively promote this blog.
I'll bet, you may have thought that I'd comment on Saddam's capture. I did at the round table. After Christmas, I'll do it here. Presently, I'm just watching all the wierd twists on versions of how he ended up in U.S. custody, assuming that is really him and not a look-alike decoy. I figure, Rumsfeld and Georgie Boy's daddy would know the difference, since they were once buddy-buddy with Saddam.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, or not, I wish the world in every nation all the beautiful things that I have learned from the man and his spiritual self this holiday honors: peace, universal love and compassion born to that love, mutual generosity, and increased wisdom. You don't need to be Christian or a non-Christian believer and follower of Jesus to accept this. Just be the human spirit that we all are.
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