Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Christmas Cards.....letters.....pictures....

Ok the couple above is no one I know, it is just an example. It is that time of year again. The time when I get all of those wonderful Christmas cards. Now I love and look forward to getting those cards but as usual I have a beef with some of them.
I don't know about you but I really hate the picture on the front cards. I don't care about your trip to Hawaii, Greece, Italy, France, Uganda wherever! Maybe my year kind of sucked and the neatest place I went was Otis, Oregon. How about a Nativity scene, angels, shepherds or just a star? Do I really need to see you and your wife and kids with their Rossginol skis standing on the mountain at Vail.

I also can't stand the "family letter".

"Little Bobby swam for the first time this summer at Marthas Vineyard and we are so happy for him, Sally is second in the state in Volleyball, Bob was promoted to head sanitation engineer and we bought a new house at the coast, as for me, well, I am just here typing this letter that I will then take down to Kinko's and make 100 copies of which will all end up in the landfill, so Season's Greetings from the Kowalski Family!"
I know it seems important to you, but again, how about telling me "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" on the front, and then hand sign the inside and put a neat Christmas seals stamp on the front.
That's all.

Ok so I expect to be called a "grinch" and "bah humbug" but really, be honest, do you really like those cards? Am I the only one that doesn't? Here is my b iggest problem: I see this as a continuance of our culture, it's not about Jesus, it's about "me, myself and I". I also see it as part of the "impersonality" of our culture. Copied letters versus a nice hand written greeting. Everyone's in a hurry. Please, send me a note that says "Bill, Colleen and Kai, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!". I will be very happy.

Signed, Bill Griswald

13 comments:

Tammy Bowers said...

1. Wrong last name. The Griswolds were all about Christmas. Big family gatherings, everything in celebration, so you should choose Scrooge or Krank, but certainly not Griswald.

2. In this busy world, no one writes letters anymore. So if I can get a letter once a year from old college friends showing how their kids have grown, what they are up to, who's changed jobs or had surgery etc., I'm all for it. We lose touch too easily. I hear from my old high-school best friend once a year. I anxiously tear open her letter and devour every word and picture. It brings out warm fuzzy memories. Christmas letters have become a new tradition that I love. Christmas is suppose to be about celebrating the birth of Christ with family and friends, and spreading the Good News of His birth. What a great way to spread that message, and I can't think of a better time of year to receive annual contact from long lost love ones. So, I say keep 'em comin'!

Tammy Bowers said...

One more thing, just because of this blog, I'm sending you a big beautiful Christmas picture of Dan and I. Enjoy!

Bill's Waste of Air said...

If a family or friend can't take the time to keep me up to date more than once a year, then I would just rather not hear.
They must not care that much.
I am all about Christmas, that is my point. Our house is lit up more than any in our neighborhood, our tree is great, our interior looks like Santa's workshop, I send personally signed cards with a note to every single person wishing them a Merry Christmas.
What is more Christmassy than that?
See that takes time. Time is something no one wants to give up anymore. 100 copies at Kinko's, 100 premade photo ops on a postcard. Nothing wrong with that, just not the old personal touch that I prefer.
So, I will take your card, I will enjoy the picture and hope that there is a personal note written on it so that I know that you truly care and that I am not just another on a long list. :)

Jen said...

wow...

sorry I sent you guys a picture card and letter in the past. it was my way to update everyone on our life...and to show people how our boys are growing up, now that we live elsewhere. i included your family cause you were my sunday school teacher...

guess it was offensive...

so, won't send you one again...

Merry Christmas anyway. Jen

Anonymous said...

Sorry Bro, I disagree with you on one hand this time. But I also think your view point is very much from a man's perspective. I agree with Tammy...I love reading letters from dear friends that I don't get to see on a regular basis and I especially love to see how their kids are growing. I do agree with your sentiment...I don't get into the long winded letter from Great Aunt Helga who goes on and on about her retirement road trip, YUCK!! But to receive mail with a picture and an update about a family that I treasure but we just live to far away from each other (like my missionary friends that live in Indonesia, South Africa, and West Africa) to keep up on a daily basis, that's priceless. By the way, writing the letter thoughtfully, so as not to bore or amp oneself's up, but to glorify the Lord and sending pictures, is time consuming and is the reason I haven't done it for a few years now. I get very few pieces of Christmas mail these days with e-mailing and so forth and I just absolutely love and relish a real piece of mail. I hear your heart so how about a letter, pictures, and a personal notein a card. Wouldn't that be the best scenario for women and men? By the way, I haven't been sent a picture of Kai in like a million years so I will be anxiously awaiting my personal card WITH a picture of KAI!!!

Love in Christ-

Dawn

Anonymous said...

I guess it depends on whether it's Vale, OR. or Vail, CO. Merry Christmas, you grumpy old fart!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Bill,
You actually inspired me to sit down and write a Christmas letter and I have not done that for several years! Thank you! Hopefully, you will see it soon!!

Love ya!

Dawn

Tammy Bowers said...

Jenny, I love your Christmas letters! Never stop!

Good for you, Dawn! I agree writing these letters takes effort, is time consuming, not to mention expensive. But, they can be heart felt and an excellent way to keep in touch.

Anonymous said...

According to the definition of the word blog (below) and your sentiments you probably shouldn't even have a blog.

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English - Cite This Source - Share This Main Entry: blog

Part of Speech: n

Definition: an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also called Weblog, Web log

Example: Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.

Etymology: shortened form of Weblog
Usage: blog, blogged, blogging v, blogger n

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7)
Copyright © 2003-2007 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC

Bill's Waste of Air said...

Well now anonymous, let me see if I have "blogged" correctly then using your definition:
"a chronological personal log of thought published on a web page".

How do you know when I "thought" these things up?

Maybe in my mind, every week or so is the same as daily.

Lastly, if you can't sign your name, then I really don't give a rats patootie what you think.

Nyahhhhh......

On to the other comments:
I notice these are all women commenting (ok mick I will leave you out of that list).
Women have never seemed to get the whole "rant" thing.
It either goes over their heads, or they get upset about it.
A rant is just that. Whatever happens to be bugging me at THAT MOMENT!!
If you take the RANTS that I write out too seriously then you need to check into a clinic.
If you understand them, then you REALLY need help.
If you just chuckle along and say "that Bill, what a maroon", then you are getting it.
Got it?

Anonymous said...

The words "Personal Diary" and "Personality" are the words you should notice in that definition. Basically, your blogging is a Christmas letter about you streched out over the whole year instead of one letter at Christmas time.

Jen said...

Ah Bill...

You should stop talking now, before the women of Christmas Cheer hunt you down and string you up by your toes, leaving you for dead amongst the Christmas letters and pics of yesteryear.

And FYI, women RANT all of the time, this is not a past time that is set aside for men. In fact, I consider women more of the ranting type more often then men...women tend to wear their thoughts on their sleeves while men keep it inside. So, rant away, but know this, your public rants will receive public response. You know better than to think we'd all sit here quietly not responding...come on!!

Merry Christmas Bill, I still am not sending you my annual letter. Tammy, you'll get yours eventually, I'm actually sending them out for the New Year this year, to announce our plans once we know about Texas...so don't think I forgot you!

Sigh. Put a fork in Jen, she's done.

Bill's Waste of Air said...

anonymous: please come forward and be known.
Yes, a blog is nothing more than:
ME, MYSELF AND I.
Are there any blogs that aren't?
I do keep mine on the political side for the most part, occasional dabblings in Christianity and Theology, but mostly it is about me and for my amusement.
Feel free to go to a much more exciting blog like......well I can't think of any.

Jennyth: dahling, you look mahvelous.
I'll take the picture, but I do keep up with youse through your dingbat FFL loving hubby and you wonderful blog.

Ta all.