I'm Just Sayin by Alan P. Scaglione

“ChristmasTime is Here—Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Men!”

                                        

  “I’m Just Sayin’”

                                                                 by Alan P. Scaglione

3 – 2 – 1 ! And we’re off!
Christmas Season has officially begun!
At least, that’s what they said at Wal-Mart at 10 PM Thanksgiving Night!
YES Virginia…We were at the Black Friday shopping spree…which, coincidentally, started on Thanksgiving Night this year!
What they will do…just to jumpstart this economy!
But, I have to say…they were out in droves!

I like to go to observe…People are funny! Left to their own devices, you’d be amazed what people will do!
Bella decided that, although the “official” shopping didn’t start until 10pm, she would go an hour earlier…just to scope out the competition.
Competition NOT being Target or Sears…THIS competition was…the OTHER shoppers!
YEP—my normally sweet and genteel, southern sweetheart was on Commando Duty…and she was not taking prisoners!
I walked with her through the store, but at some point I whispered my usual into her ear “you have your cell on, right?”
She smiled, nodded and…off she went in one direction, and off I went in another.
I love to just watch and listen.
In years past, I have observed the worst in people: two seemingly nice moms fighting over the last Tickle Me Elmo—no one was laughing that night!
But this year, I saw crowds gathered around the 42” TVs waiting until 10pm to go on sale; the crowd was laughing, joking, talking about Christmas!
And there’s always a “ME” in the crowd—this guy was leading the group in Christmas Carols. In the middle of Wal-Mart! Deck the Halls! FaLaLaLaLa!

I say “ME” because—I am that guy…the one who stands at the entrance of Wal-Mart, not an employee, but..Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!
YES—I do say “Merry Christmas” – no disrespect to those who do NOT celebrate Christmas, but…this is OUR Holiday,WE Christians in OUR Christian Country called America—I will not be apologizing to anyone for celebrating CHRIST in Christmas and I don’t call it Xmas..Keep Christ in Christmas!
Just in case you wondered how I felt about that…now you know! LOL!

I just love this time of year—I start counting from Labor Day until we get through the gratefulness of Thanksgiving so we can Celebrate Christmas!
I just think, for the most part, people are a little nicer to each other at Christmas time…even in a checkout line that is 100 people long.
I saw someone offer a single mom, who brought her 3 kids, one a toddler, with her(and the toddler was screaming), to go ahead of them.
Wait a minute??? Maybe they were just getting that screaming kid out of the store? Hmmm…maybe there was method to their madness!
That could be why people clapped! LOL!
But I also saw…an employee slip off of a display, headed for a fall, and a grandma caught the employee. I saw that! And the employee was so surprised by the magnanimous gesture that he let the grandma take her item 30 minutes early! See??? Wasn’t that nice of both of them?
I ended my night, sitting at the exit of the store, watching people leave together… they had all “helped the economy” a whole lot, but they were still laughing, smiling and letting someone go ahead of them. Some asked if they could help the other to their car…so they could have their cart! Any other time, you would be suspect why someone was walking you to your car “with” your 5 bikes you just bought—it was for your cart, silly!

Regardless, of the reason…BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE—the NICE ones, the ones who treat each other with kindness, smiling and greeting and wishing each other a Merry CHRISTmas!
And through it all, I was singing “Hark the Herald, Angels Sing, Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and Sinners reconciled!”

The Scripture says in Luke 2:13-14:

 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Ready??

Let’s spread some Peace…His Peace…that passes all understanding—that’s really all this world needs!

Until Next Time

I’m Just Sayin’…

Brother “A”