In the spirit of the holidays, I'll be doing something a little different today and not be myself, if that doesn't make sense then read on, and it just may.

My friends may call me a Scrooge, but let's face it people, the holidays suck.To begin with - you can't go to any stores today because everything is closed. Yet not twenty-four hours ago, the stores were not only open, but full of stark raving mad and in some cases violent people, who were too busy looking for that one toy that the marketing wizards of Madison Avenue had successfully managed to brainwash all the kids into wanting just in time for the annual 'lets make a profit at the end of the year sale.' to notice that their foot was lodged firmly on top of your face.

Hey, don't get me wrong, it's not that I have anything against the good things that xmas stands for, in fact - I admire them. Traits like kindness, forgiveness, and generosity abound this time of year, but I question how genuine these things are, since I don't see them much the rest of the year.

I think xmas is a great time of the year to see old friends, have a nice meal with family, and try connect to our fellow man, but really now - if these things mean so much to us, why aren't we this way all year round? Two months ago I was at a store and the people would rather punch me in the face then so much as look at me, did anyone let me have their parking spot or hold a door open for me? Hell no! Yet, suddenly, almost magically - December comes to this nation and everyone around me is full of that Charlie Brown Christmas spirit.

So if it's true we aren't going to be ourselves during this season of joy, then just who the hell are we? A bunch of jerks that are pretending to be nice for the sake of the season? No, I just don't buy that, maybe it's the sap in me but I believe we are better then that. I think we as a people are busy, very busy - and xmas is the only time of the year where we are nearly bludgeoned to death with the fact that we need to stop and take time to look around us, to see what we can do to help others.

So all that xmas marketing and hype may be a good thing after all, if it makes us slow down for a moment and see what giant jerks we are when we don't take notice of our surroundings. It's easy to turn a blind eye to the problems of the world we live in, and during the holidays we are reminded not to do that.

So until people learn to slow down all year round, I'll stick to being a Scrooge, after all - someone has to keep the faith.