Merry Christmas . . . and

Keep it clean, children may be present.

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Amskeptic
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Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Dec 25, 2018 7:12 am

. . . have a Happy Kwaanza too.

I hope all six of you have an excellent day of good food, good people, and maybe some cool gifts in there too.

I have turned away from the yip yip yip commercialized stuff big time. God blessed me with one excellent Christmas oh about twenty two years ago where everything aligned into a magical moment where my deeply held beliefs merged with this alleged celebration of the birth of Christ in the presence of people (little ones) who were truly grateful and wonderstruck and it looked to me like the adults were doing their best to make it that way.

What I sensed before and after that Christmas was that we humans touchingly don't know when or how to quit. We overdo so much of the celebration that I see stampedes at Walmart and tantrums on Christmas morning. A shout out to all toddlers who would rather play with the box that the plasticky present came in, good for you!

I am here to tell you that after fifty nine of these Christmas days, I do not remember the $75.00 coffee table book half so much as the walks we took after Christmas dinner. I remember for all time the Hallelujah chorus from the Messiah filling the house.

So yeah, what about that Christ guy? How do you celebrate a birth over two thousand years ago without it being sort of weird? Well, many many people have *made* it weird. You know the types. Something beautiful happens and they come in and try to imprint it with their own perceptions which of course are limited by the very fact that people who try to boss over others aren't really taking in the moment.

I came to Christ (careful) as a kindergartener on my own. I liked that he existed at all, and if we are telling stories about him, I figured there was a reason. I did not buy into their reasons. They were too fanciful, and many times too angry and frankly, the "virgin birth" stuff is totally icky odd to me. But I liked Jesus and developed an affinity for his parables, and I have, thank God, met people on this Earth who strike me as a lot like Jesus.

They hang out with "whores" and "criminals" and get pissed with bankers and don't lord it over others and make water out of wine and feed others without a second thought, what is not to like?

Today is my day to desperately celebrate the Good Ones. It seems more obvious to me in my autumn, that all along, it was to claw our way through to the simple task for all of us, be nice, share, do good things, like Jesus did. It is not beyond us, like the religions like to tell us.

"YOU'RE A SINNER!"
"I know."
"YOU'RE GOING TO EVERLASTING HELL!"
"Oh, take a chill pill."

This is Ours. And we are Active Participants in making it all work. And there is work to be done. What God told me last night was that it is all necessary, and the frightening storm clouds of chaos that threaten to envelop us are all part of It too. Be nice, share, and do good things, oh, and keep getting pissed at the money changers.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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weisswurst
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Re: Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by weisswurst » Wed Dec 26, 2018 8:52 am

great post! As a possible number 7 here I have always agreed with Jesus's ideas as good rules to live by now and in a simpler time of "doing right and not doing wrong". I appreciate the fact that you basically "wander" from place to place Colin and "minister" to all of us (at least in my opinion) on taking care of your VW, reminding us your actions or lack of have consequences and also generally preaching to be a good person to others. This is always the impression I have of your visits and I am thankful to be one of your yearly winter stops here and I hope to see you soon my friend. Happy Christmas and all holidays to the other 6 as well! ;)
"I drink, therefore yes ma'am..."

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yondermtn
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Re: Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by yondermtn » Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:18 am

Merry Christmas
1977 Westy 2.0FI
1990 Vanagon MV 2.1 Auto

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Amskeptic
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Re: Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Dec 31, 2018 6:48 pm

HOW did my morning post disappear? I have a whole gaggle of Facebook members who must have come here to a total blank. The last thing I need is a forum that acts like it has Alzheimers. Anyways, I will write a stand alone post. Sorry Facebookers . . .
Colin Whu?
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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JLT
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Re: Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by JLT » Thu Jan 03, 2019 4:17 pm

Not much I can add to Colin's essay. My own fondest memories of Christmas have very little to do with presents or mall Santas or over-the-top light displays. Instead, they are the memories of chill of the church at midnight Mass, the meals that my extended family would cook and share with me, my six aunts and uncles, and my dozens of cousins all in one ranch-style house, It's about me making Christmas cookies and sending them across the country to a few valued relatives. It's about making donations to the local homeless shelter. It's about walks after sunset under a clear sky and the smell of wood smoke and hands warm in mittens. Parents, make sure your children have these memories, too, because those are the ones that will last far longer than what they found under the tree.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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BusBassist
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Re: Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by BusBassist » Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:32 pm

Colin and fellow IAC-ites,

I am coming to this late - but frankly am very glad to see the influence of Christ and Christmas on a few fellow human beings - even though we barely know each other - or have never met. The characteristics that Christ embodied such as humility, simplicity, kindness, charity, etc. are those that bring true joy. Colin, I appreciate your observation that he spent time with whores and criminals - without judgement - and saw their full potential.

Let's hope that the true spirit of Christ(mas) does not dissipate and fade simply because the month of December is now passed.

Jeff
Late 73 Bay w/a transplanted 914 Engine.

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JLT
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Re: Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by JLT » Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:37 pm

BusBassist wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:32 pm

Let's hope that the true spirit of Christ(mas) does not dissipate and fade simply because the month of December is now passed.
Well said.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

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jimbear
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Re: Merry Christmas . . . and

Post by jimbear » Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:25 pm

I am late to this as well, hell, late in general to the IAC. Regarding X-mas--I prefer the "X" for a reason. I believe that Christ was (have been) a real person, but I do not do the religious myth side of his story. For me, I am more into the original pagan celebration of the equinox, the season of "conscious" giving and being, the minimization of the seasonalholidayoverexcessivedecorative brick-a-brack, repata, repata, repata. My family decorates, but it is minimal, personal, and relatively bling free. We give, but thoughtfully and not in a "go into debt" kind of way. We usually drive to West Central New York, 20 out of the last 25 years!--our people get "us" for the X-mas. We walk/hike, game, drink, hang together--making those memories and being in the presence of who we love. And don't think that for a second that I don't make it a pointed-point to wish all of the Southern "holier-than-thous" a very Happy Holidays as I meander through the seasonal over-excessiveness and "put-the-Christ-back-in-Christmasers" down in here in good ol’ Georgia.
'74 Hardtop Westy
Pretty much stock engine setup

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