I was reminded of this when the United States Congress passed a bill that would give $600 to every man, woman, and child in the country as a balm to ease the economic strain of the Covid pandemic of 2020. At least, Scrooge had enough backbone to stick to his belief and tell the two appealers that he wouldn't be giving. On the other hand, Congress threw those people suffering just enough to be insufficient to do the job. Merry Christmas, indeed.
But doesn't this non-action reflect the Christmas Season of 2020? There seems to be no excitement or joy this holiday. During troubling times of the past, those troubles appeared to ease when Jack Frost was nipping at your nose. I remember stories that during battles of the war, enemies would cease hostilities on Christmas.
But this year, it seems that the Christmas Spirit is obligatory. Like people are forcing themselves, by sheer will, to have some semblance of Christmases past. A Christmas that is a mist in their memories. Christmas like it used to be. Unfortunately, it appears to not be successful in the collective public persona.
Christmas is, of course, for children. Anyone lucky enough to be in close contact with kids has the opportunity to enjoy the holiday through their wide-eyed enjoyment. Every aspect of Christmas generates childlike wonder that we adults then enjoy vicariously. Kids spark the spirits of our own holiday remembrances.
To me, Christmas 2020 seems a bit less joyful, a bit less warm. Are people going through the motions because they have to? Or are people clinging to a thread of Christmas past because they want to? I hope it's the latter.
But nowhere is the former better personified than the Congress's disingenuous stimulus offering. $600 will not pay your rent, health insurance, or a grocery bill for an average family. Bah, humbug indeed.
We can only hope that Marley's Ghost visits each and every one of those stingy buggers.
Try to have a merry Christmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment