Doc,
I feel that America has somewhere gotten its morals mixed up. It wants so bad not to offend that it is the oppitomy of offensive. The holidays just, for some, make it worse.
I heard the other day that a Santa Clause wasn't alloud to say "Ho,HO,HO" because it was offensive to women so now that Santa has to say "Ha, Ha, Ha" instead. Buggs Bunny is to violent, but South Park, The Simpsons, and Beavis and Butt Head aren't.
American is so greedy that it has what's called "Black Friday". This is a day that most every store will drop the prices on everything, in order to increase its sales. People go completely crazy. Theft/armed robbery increases to unbelievable proportions. Why can't they just lower the cost and keep it that way year round.
I love my family dearly, but I am one that dreads the holidays. I would love to get my wife and kids everything their hearts desire, but I just can't. The holidays just help to remind me of my accomplishments and failures in life. All the holidays come at once. Then to compound it birthdays all fall in too.
There is so much that I wish for my family, friends, and lets face it I have wishes for the whole world. The Holidays are a reminder of my mortallity.
I remember an old commercial that went something like, "I'd love to buy the world a coke and to teach it to sing in perfect harmony, I'd love to buy the world a coke and teach it how to smile." Or something like that.
A large part of this world is run by greed and the holidays just make it all that more visible.
If you're not happy with what you have...
Then you'll never be happy with what you get...