Pay it Forward and Christmas is Almost Here.....

So, can an atheist get excited about Christmas? Well, surely not in the sense of praying, going to church, thinking the earth is only a few thousand years old, and that there was a virgin birth.

But, I have noticed that some people, believers or not, seem to be a little kinder and understanding, if you will, during the holiday season. And, of course that is good. People who are usually gruff and abrupt may even, with a smile no less, wish you a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday and at least at the time they're saying it, mean it.

I think that if we can all take a few minutes and think about what we have...yes, our material things as well as our friendships and relationships; that we can pause and appreciate that we have a job and can support ourselves and those who rely on us, whether we think our job is the greatest or not.

Anyone who happens by here and is reading this surely is most likely doing at least OK in the grand scheme of things. Yes, we may want our marriages and relationships to be better. We may want our job environment to be better. We may want a new car or a fancier place to live, but when the marks are tallied, we most likely have it pretty good.

Click on the ABC link below to learn who owns this car....

None of us are going to bed hungry. And, I'm sure we all have shelter and clothes to wear.

So, I guess what would be great, is for those of us who have this other feeling around the holidays, could maintain it throughout the year. Yeah, be nice to folks because it's good to be nice to folks. And, not just do it because you feel by tradition that you should......

So, George, did you fall and bonk your head? What's up? I know that you may find it hard to believe but just because a person is an atheist doesn't that that they aren't the same as a

believer, except for that one small difference. Yes, we don't believe in god(s).

So, what brought all of this on? Good question and I'm not exactly sure. I've been thinking about writing something like this for a while. I guess, what nudged me a little was an article on the ABC website. And, yes, I realized that constantly ranting  and raving about the evils of religion is doing nothing other than keeping me riled-up.

Sometimes we just need to sit and be unemotional and objective about our situation, and at other times maybe looking around us and seeing how others have it will cause us to better appreciate our station in life. Try to imagine trading places with those who don't have what we have. Sometimes a little introspection can better make us appreciate what we do have.

So folks, be nice... yes, during the holidays as well as the rest of the year. And, if you see someone who needs help and you're able to assist, that would be great.