I long for Christmases past… Of more innocent times, when wars and conflicts were all over and done with and WWII was thought of as the last great mistake of humanity. I long for the times when common decency, was just that - common and everyday, and could be relied upon even when meeting strangers in the street. The times when the Holy Land was really holy and holy for all, no matter what their religion was. I wish for the return of those years when shame was still felt by people, when even adults blushed, and when politicians dreaded public opinion a great deal as it could bring them down in humiliation for even minor misdemeanours.
I long for respect - respect for other people, respect for oneself, respect for nature, respect for life, respect for this piece of insignificant space-dust that we call our planet Earth. The respect that the indigenous cultures of this world had brought up their children to deeply live by for generations. I hanker for the family that I grew up with: A family whose members were tight-knit and loved each other, supported each other, had time to talk with, and listen to, each other. Where joys were shared and were multiplied manifold, and the sadnesses shared were divided and thus dissipated.
I wish for the return of those days where terror was a thing encountered only in scary movies, not that terror which is spawned by demented dictators or religious fanatics and their adherents. The terrorism that nowadays sacrifices innocents such that extremist ideologies are imposed upon millions. I wish for petty despots motivated by megalomaniac egotism, greed and shallow dreams of world domination to become only blots, dark stains in the history books, held up as examples to be avoided, and their horrible names to be uttered with disdain and indignation.
I long for Christmases past, when gifts were simple and love was more genuine, when times shared together and company enjoyed were more important than any well-known brand of merchandise, when people, not things, mattered. When consumerism was measured by how many logs were thrown in the fire so that the light and warmth of it was enough to melt any coldness in our hearts. Not the consumerism that generates trillions of dollars for the multinational companies at the expense of all the ordinary people.
A Travel Tuesday to the past this week, to the time and place where nostalgia takes me. A Christmas past, where as I child I experienced all those things that I now long for. Have a Merry Christmas if you can this year, and if you do, spare a thought for those who are living in hell not so far away - death, destruction, injustice, persecution, violence, racism, discrimination, misery, intolerance, extremism are only as far away as next door. Be grateful for the joy you experience and share as much of it as you can with others. My Christmas gifts this year are all merged into a donation for Doctors Without Borders, they do a great deal to help others in need…
