Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.
- William Shakespeare
It’s the beginning of December, which means it’s the holiday season- you know, that wonderful time of year some may know as the “War on Christmas.” It’s the season of faux outrage and the taking of offense over the smallest and most otherwise innocent of gestures. Whether it’s red Starbucks cups (Have you been in one of their stores and noticed how “Christmas” is plastered over almost everything?) or wishing someone “Happy Holidays” in a (evidently) misguided effort to be respectful of others, ‘tis the season for the self-righteous and addicted to outrage to take flight.
The holiday season (yes, I just took the “Christ” out of “Christmas”) can be a stressful time under the best of circumstances, so this year I’m going to try to do what I do every year at this time: focus on being nice to people. I don’t care what your beliefs may be; that’s a personal issue and none of my business. Whatever you may look like or believe in, you’re free to it. I can’t control what others may do or how they may think, but I can work to be nice to people. If more bipeds could see there way clear to doing the same thing, I’d wager this world would be a much more pleasant and less contentious place.
There are so many ways we as humans find to deingrate or dehumanize others. Whether it’s religion, politics, skin color, sexuality…etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum, we’re astonishingly adept at not getting along with one another. In a season (at least on the surface) dedicated to peace on Earth and goodwill towards men, there too often seems to be a profound disconnect between the reason for the season and the way it plays out.
Instead of holding forth at length about what’s wrong with the world and our approach to it, I’m going to try to focus on myself and the way I think of and treat people. I’m going to make every effort to be kind to others, to smile whenever possible, and treat my fellow human beings as I wish to be treated. It’s something that’s distressingly easy to lose sight of in our hyper-connected, warp-speed world…but it’s worth a try.
I hope you’ll join me. One person is a loner, two is a team, but three…that’s the beginning of a movement, one that each of us can start. It’s easy to do and kindness costs nothing…and so I’m going to try to smile more and make a conscious effort to be considerate and nice. I think I already do a reasonably good job, but there’s always room for improvement, no?
