It's always irked me that people seem to only want to do something good either during some nationwide charity drive, Christmas, New Year, etc. Why can't it just be another day when one thinks about doing something good for themselves or for others?
Let's start with Istrina. For those of you who don't know about it or are not from Malta, every year there is a fund-raising marathon called Istrina. Every year it seems that the Maltese public become more and more generous and, in fact, some Spanish index called Malta the most generous country in the world, statistically speaking, based on the number of families who donate money to charity. Do you honestly think that if it wasn't for a public TV marathon, that half of these families would give half a shit about charity? Let alone donate over 2 million collectively.
Now, Christmas. If ever there was a more bullshit holiday. If you want full details of it's conception and materialistic evolution, I suggest you find one of my older blogs about it. In short, it is a pagan holiday that was stolen by Jesus - not to mention that it is also Muhammed and Krishna's birthday and who knows who else. It's bollocks! All we celebrate is the fact that we have some fancy new shiny things hanging everywhere and we feel the need to buy people things that, had they needed, they could've bought themselves. It's all one big material farse.
Finally, the New Year and all it's glory. Why the hell are we compelled to make a change every single time this new calendar is thrust upon us? Everything from diets to no smoking to spending more time studying to spending more time with the kids. If someone knew that he had to do something to make his life better, why wait? What is keeping people from just making a change? Is it because we are creatures of vice and are incapable of actually making something good happen on our own accord without any particular mass awareness? It's just fucking lunatic.
Right. I'm done. I'm glad to see I'm still a cynical bastard who likes ranting.
Good morning, the interwebz
I agree with you; people are idle and lazy and to have a specific day where they are compelled to be charitable apparently fixes the issue.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, even if it's bullshit and pagan and means absolutely nothing, at least (genuinely or not) some good is happening out of these dates. Sure, they should be done more frequently and without a particular reason, but I've completely lost hope in a miserable humanity. So this will have to do. So if you're a level 8 cynic, I'm a level 9 :P
It just keeps getting better and better =D
Were you a level 9 cynic, you wouldn't be looking for the positive side. You a mere level 5, my dear.
ReplyDeleteChristmas has a very important function actually. Gift giving and reciprocity are at the heart of every form of human alliance and friendship (in every society). Now us westerners, we love to institutionalize everything - even gift giving; and we did. Every other symbol attached to it is just a means of making it's function appear important and necessary - Jesus, Fr. Xmas, your mum. xoxo
ReplyDeleteIf they really were at the heart of every form of human alliance, why do we need one particular day to force ourselves to buy things for someone? Why can't we just give someone a gift? I think if Christmas didn't exist, the world would be a lot more generous in terms of friends and gift-giving. Also we westerners are full of shit.
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