A few Xmases ago I bumped into an acquaintance who was busy Xmas-shopping. The acquaintance asked me if I, too, was shopping for Xmas presents and I said no, because I’m not a Christian. The acquaintance (feeling clever) countered with the thing about Xmas really being Pagan. I countered with, “But I’m not Pagan, either.” Acquaintance finished with: “Well I’m glad I’m not *your* kid!” I said: “Me too!” A few days ago, Daughter and I were off on a little evening adventure to buy some groceries. On the way to the store we passed through a cloud of Xmas … Continue reading SEASONAL BLEATS

A Parable There are 100 people in a large-ish room; a room large enough to house 100 people. At one end of the room is a chute from which the people periodically collect tokens in payment for tinkering on knick-knacks in the room. In the floor of the room is a chute down which the tinkered-upon knick-knacks are regularly deposited by the 100 people when each little tinker-job is done. In the wall opposite the wall bearing the token chute stands a brightly-lit window in which sits the man who owns the room, the knick-knacks and all the tokens. Periodically, … Continue reading Toboggans of the Desert: a Prematurely Seasonal Essay in Two Parts