Opinion: Countdown to Christmas
Christmas is a week away. The year 2021 is but two weeks from now. I am not alone in thinking the year 2020 has worn out its welcome, and it seems to have lasted about 450-days instead of the usual 365.
I won’t belabor all the near unbearable things the planet has endured this year. The jokes surrounding the pandemic really aren’t funny. Parents homeschooling their youngsters are learning the teachers might not have been the problem all these years.
I do not envy the parents who have led fairly sheltered lives who use time spent with their offspring as more of a treat than the 24-hour a day chore. That’s another reason I don’t have children.
This year Christmas and New Year’s both will be four-day weekends. I am supposing everybody who can take off Christmas Eve and New Years Eve will. That leaves the Thursday and Friday holiday weekends a time for celebrating those we love. Unfortunately, the State’s Shelter in Place policy prohibits most gatherings, while severely limiting the festivities it does allow.
While some of our government officials seem unwilling to practice what they preach, it is up to the individual citizens to decide which path they will take.
It is once again time for my yearly rant against driving while inebriated. Since the laws for the recreational use of marijuana have been relaxed, many pot smokers have come out of the closet, so to speak, when it comes to getting high!
I have no opinion on the evils of smoking weed. Different strokes and all that. What I do get upset about is people who drink or smoke the Mary Jane, and get behind the wheel of a car and drive. A ticket for driving under the influence will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000 or more. In addition to bail money and lawyer’s fees, loss of employment, higher insurance rates and time in jail are just some of the headaches you are guaranteed to enjoy because you just had to drive home. Instead climb into the back seat and sleep it off. I understand if you fall asleep in the driver’s seat with your keys in the ignition you will be just as liable as if you were driving.
It really isn’t worth the buzz that will be fleeting, if you wind up in the “bucket,” for driving under the influence.
Remember, a designated drive isn’t the person in your party that has had the least to drink; it is the person that doesn’t drink or smoke at all.
The COVID-19 pandemic will probably keep a lot of people home this year. It is far better to have an uneventful holiday than to windup behind bars.
During this festive season, remember the true nature of the holiday and the joy of the baby Jesus born to save us from our sins. Don’t be afraid to wish you neighbors and even strangers on the street a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holidays whichever you prefer.
Say a prayer for those serving in the military and our first responders working in the field.
Whichever winter holiday you celebrate, make it a safe one.
Long days and pleasant nights have a great weekend.
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Readers may contact Tami Jo Nix by emailing tamijonix@gmail.com or following @TamiJoNix on Twitter.
