Christmas Day is not the most opportune time for political analysis and critique. Christmas is usually a festive occasion -as strange as that may sound in the current crisis that Greece and Greeks are living through.
Christmas – usually associated with rampant consumerism in the past is now marked by a crisis that has turned everything upside down. A mood of “national despair” due to wage cuts and great loss has made it especially hard to find ways to celebrate.
There is a way to celebrate though- that is actually quite simple. One must just remember that this is the day we celebrate the birth of Christ –the One who so wisely taught us to “love one another.”
I suggest this is the way to rejoice. This Christmas can be the starting point for different kind of celebration which focuses less on money and more love; love and caring for those near to us, whoever they are -our brother, our friend, our neighbor or simply a stranger passing by.
The secret of every celebration, not only the secret of Christmas, are the feelings and emotions that are experienced. And these are not created by consumerism, because no matter how much you consume- it’s never enough. True feelings presuppose honesty, authenticity and an open heart.
These last years and in this age of pretense, many of the more loving and caring characteristics that define us as a people in Greece have been lost. One upon a time, when people were more impoverished, celebrations were held in neighborhood squares. People laughed with their hearts, not with sophistication. This open hearted authenticity, this surge, this fire, has been lost.
Obviously, I’m not implying we have to return to the past because that just can’t happen. Time moves forward. One does not want to idealize the past as a time when things were perfect because no age was ever perfect. The challenge is- in this most imperfect world, full of difficulties and problems- to not to give up and to do the best you can. The other challenge is to turn our attention to more substantial things. And nothing is more meaningful than other people.
2013 may be a very difficult year. When you hear words like “all or nothing” it can only that mean tough days are ahead. That is why we need to psychologically organize ourselves so we can stay on our feet. We need to start thinking differently and more unconventionally. We need to become more creative and more effective. We need to open up our minds and our hearts to welcome this new time.
As difficult as the transition seems today, its success is in our hands to achieve as long as we are all on the same side. We need to believe in ourselves and not turn against each other. In a Greece of small minded egos, arrogance and self-absorption – this may prove very difficult. If though we embrace a Greece of fair-mindedness and generosity, this might just be possible.
Happy holiday to all!
P.S. We would like to thank – from the bottom of our hearts -all our friends who do us the exceptional honor of visiting our blog everyday, who share our content and share their opinions and comments with us. Every day we receive more and more of your communications. This makes our responsibility to keep telling things like they are even greater.
