The Top 40

The over-commercialization of Thanksgiving and Christmas has depressed me for many years. I have such happy memories of my youth in the 30s and 40s. Family gatherings, parties, singing carols, going to church, being full of good cheer. We were thankful for family, friends, and what material blessings as we had. Especially during the dark years of WWII. Those were precious times.

As an adult I became an airline pilot and those happy days of youth were left behind. I was often scheduled to fly on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It came with the territory. Airlines had to fly even though there were few people actually flying on the holidays. But oh, how busy we were on the days before and after! Early on I began to see some purpose in my being away from hearth and home as we delivered people flying to see their loved ones. Back in those days families could meet the flights at the gate. It was a cheering sight to witness the happy reunions of family and friends. It warmed my heart. In twenty-five years of flying the line I spent more Thanksgivings and Christmases away than at home. What made it bearable was that I knew my family's sacrifices made much happiness possible for others.

Since we have become a wealthy country (especially since the 1980s), retail merchandising has become more and more the reason for the season. I do understand that retail is a big part of our economy and we need it to be a healthy part. But it seems to me that we could still hold two days a year as days when all "non-essential" personnel could spend those days with their families and forgo the urge to acquire more stuff. Just sayin'.

Not everyone. Once, my MIL flew Continental from Jax to McAllen TX, with ziploc bags full of frozen creamed corn, field peas, and collard greens from her kitchen. Her luggage was the one leaking green pot likker! We were delighted and concerned when we saw it on the carousel!