Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Politically Correct

Last night we went to the Blue Ridge Mountain Jeepers Christmas party. The club has the rule of no talk of religion or politics. It  makes for a more pleasant get together for the group. Our meeting consisted of discussing what our club would do for Christmas giving. We have chosen a local nursing home to give presents to. There are sixteen residents, fourteen female and two male. One male resident doesn't have a single relative. He has greater needs than the other residents so we're concentrating on him but all will get gifts from us. We also had a gift exchange at the party with a ten dollar limit where you draw numbers and can take another person's gift. It was a lot of fun.

Over the last several years I found myself saying happy holidays. But I was raised with the word Christmas and I think I'll go back to the word. I looked back to see if the jeep club email said holiday or Christmas and it says Christmas. I don't think I should have to change my upbringing or my vocabulary for anyone and I don't think anyone should have to change for me.

If I say Merry Christmas I mean it in the most loving and respectful of ways. I might slip up and say Happy Holidays. Then again I might wonder should I say anything at all. Perhaps I don't know what your persuasion is. Maybe Atheist, maybe Agnostic, maybe Jewish, maybe Buddhist, maybe Muslim, maybe a religion I don't even know of. I might feel bad because I used the wrong word. Then I might not say anything for fear of saying the wrong thing. Being shy this makes it even more difficult for me. Most times I might not say anything at all because I'm tongue tied. But now I have to worry about what I should or shouldn't say?

I just remembered something from the past. One day we had some friends over for dinner. The woman is Filipino and the man is Iranian. Some time in the conversation I said the word Oriental. I don't even recall what I was referring to, perhaps a spice or a location in Asia I don't know. But she turned to me and said Asian. So I corrected myself. I knew the word Asian but I must have fallen back on an earlier time in my mind. Sometimes the wrong word or phrase just slips out but I don't mean anything by it. Where did I learn the word Oriental. Probably from reading novels. Much of what I've learned probably came from books and not from interaction with people. I guess I've led a sheltered life. I never thought so but looking back mostly I did.

No matter what you think of the recent political rhetoric, it has served to bring many a topic to the table for discussion in our country. There is so much to talk about and discuss. Should we ban guns; should we carry guns, do we need even more laws banning more things; should there be safe zones on campus, should we have open or closed borders, should we limit immigration; should we be fracking, can we have a Christmas tree, can we pray, can we say God, should we fly on an airplane, should we go to a football game, should we go to work today. So much to worry about in today's world. Yet my daily living has more pressing needs than any of these. Sometimes it's all too much.

I want to stick my head in the sand. No that wouldn't be very pleasant or comfortable. Let's see, ah yes, I wish I was floating in some warm water off of a tropical island without a care in the world. If I close my eyes I can almost feel the water lapping over my body. Oh so gentle and warm and kind.

Now I'm feeling guilty because there are so many other's in the world with more pressing needs than mine. The homeless, the elderly, the veterans, the unemployed, those without families, those without countries, those without hope. Oh I do so wish everyone was floating in some warm water off of a tropical island without a care in the world. But wait, maybe they don't like warm water or floating, maybe they don't like the tropics, maybe, maybe ... See what I mean.

19 comments:

  1. The holidays for many reasons are very hard for so many, I pray that they have strength to get through the tough times and into a new year~~~Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Carroll, thanks, yes no family nearby and those far away are well you know. plus world events don't help.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not easy. Being true to yourself is a good start.
    I like the idea of no discussion of religion or politics. People's minds are not going to change, so it seems better to let it be.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Elephant's Child, thanks, sometimes I wish I had no TV or internet and just kept to my self. it sure isn't easy that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'll just echo EC; it's more than good enough for more.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Joanne, thanks, too many sensitive people nowadays and it doesn't help that I am sometimes overly sensitive.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Any wish for a good day is welcome to me. If I know someone celebrates a certain holiday, I will include that in my good wishes but you can't know everything.Language is always changing. In the not too distant past words like Moron and Idiot were accepted medical terms and racial designations were commonly used that I won't even repeat.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Dennis, thanks, right on, dork and creep and so much more. Some days stuff just gets me down, better today.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think you have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to understand why some word or phrase might be offensive. Did you ask your friend from the Philippines to help you understand why the term Asian is correct and Oriental is incorrect? Do you know that many, if not all of the racial designations that Dennis is referring to were used to insult people? I think the more you feel deeply for other people and learn to understand their lives and history, the more sensitive you are to your language.
    I, for one, am never insulted when someone wishes me a Merry Christmas, it’s a nice gesture and isn’t normally meant to be offensive. The same if they say “Happy Holiday’s." I’m more offended by the over commercialization of the holiday season than the well wishers.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Lori, thanks, no I didn't ask my friend because I didn't use term in a derogatory way and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it at the time. It was all part of my ignorance and I realize that. That's why I posted this because I think a lot of what people say is from ignorance rather and intentionally meant to be demeaning or insulting. I know a lot of terms have been used to insult but I also think in many cases sensitivity has gone a bit too far. The pendulum is swinging up on one side and down on the other. Oh Yes over commercialization is another can of worms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Knowledge, understanding, and compassion will erase ignorance whenever someone wants it erased from their lives.
      Happy Christmas Linda.

      Delete
  11. Great post Linda. I for one have used the word oriental several times, luckily without being pulled up on it, otherwise I would have taken it really personally as I never want to cause offence. I am so very English in that sense! It's a difficult time, its a difficult world. Anyway, wishing you a very merry Christmas Linda!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jessie, thanks, yes difficult time and difficult world, thanks so much for your well wishes, Merry Christmas to you and yours.

      Delete
  12. I agree that most people don't mind whether you say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". I more often use "Happy Holidays" because it encompasses all that is celebrated between Thanksgiving and New Year's. The one thing that I do find abrasive is all this talk about the "war on Christmas"... and putting "Christ" back in Christmas. Mostly because the people I hear say it are the ones that relish in the commercialization of the holiday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Michele, thanks, I think lots of folks relish in the holiday because they were brought up on that, which I was but mine was more religious as we didn't have much money, being a potter I know that the holidays are a big time for sales so it is hard for me to rationalize not being commercial with wanting to sell my pottery. right now I do think there seems to be a tendency to want to leave off christmas and christ because it offends others and yet I think that is a reverse discrimination I find offensive because of the hypocracy of it, this whole post is really about my thinking there is way too much emphasis put on political correctness and not offending others one such as myself wonders when it will end, maybe when we are all androgynous in looks, word, deed, relition and so on. oh well life goes on.

      Delete
    2. I agree with you Michèle.

      Linda, I think being politically correct is kind of like “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

      Delete
  13. Hi Lori, thanks, sounds good to me.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm not a religious person, but I consider myself to be a caring person. I always use "Merry Christmas" at this time of the year...and I shall continue doing so. If anyone is offended by that...it's their problem not mine.

    Political-correctness goes to some ridiculous extremes sometimes...too often. Some people are so damn "precious" these days; they should get over themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Lee, thanks, yes some folks are really caught up with being offended and blow almost everything out of proportion and there are other's who are precious say and do nothing and probably need a little love from their friends or even strangers. I could say so much more but then I'd open up a can of worms. ha.

    ReplyDelete

I love suggestions, questions, critiques, thanks for your comment