Dec. 16, 2002 - 18:25 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

So Shabby

This time of year, besides jumping through the traditional hoops, I do some heavy armchair meditation. I think about how fortunate we are here in the good old USA. Sure we have warts and a pimple here and there, but we fare much better than most in other countries.

Little things noted cause me to pause and ponder. I saw a quote in today's paper: "There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his." Helen Keller 1880 - 1968. That should've put a burr under the saddle of those better than thou people. Apparently it didn't though, she died in 1968 and still we have those nose in the air people around in droves. All of us are of the human persuasion or at least claim to be. We all put our socks on one foot at a time, we look at a time piece to see what time it is and keep close check on the calendar to make sure that no week or month sneaks by us with out us making a check mark beside that item. We can only sleep in one bed at a time and also occupy just one house, all else might well be putting the thumb in the eye of the fickle finger of fate.

I also saw this in this morning's paper. I do find good things in it now and then, even ones that don't bore me to tears. This was written by two "Long time readers in Missouri," to help senior citizens tell their families and friends what they want - and what they don't want for Christmas.

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So many of you asked us,

(since Yuletide's drawing near)

"What do you want for Christmas ?"

What can we give this year ?"

If we say, "We want nothing ! You buy something anyway,"

So here's a list of what we'd like; believe now what we say:

Pajamas for a little child. Blankets for a shelter, and we ask but little more -

Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time,

These last are worth a fortune, And they needn't cost a dime."

We have too many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks,

We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks

Candy is too fattening, crossword books we've more than twenty.

We don't need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty.

We've no walls to hang more pictures; We have books we've not yet read;

So please take what you'd spend on us and help the poor instead !

Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you've done;

We'll open them on Christmas Eve and read them one by one.

It won't cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,

You'll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue

And we'll thank God you listened to what we had to say,

So we'll be the instruments to help someone this way."

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Though most of us old critters are not poets,

That's about how we feel,

You know its,

In every good book too, with a seal.

Heather and I have all the necessities and furbelows to kerfuffle on the shelves, there are generations in the pictures on the walls, only place they can be hung now is in the bathroom stalls.

We'd rather see the grands and the great grands look with eyes of awe at what Santa brought just for them, than any material thing bought for us could do.

At times there are riches in the newspapers and like gold, must be sought. All I have to say about the big poem which showed in a column to day, Dear Abby aint' So Shabby . . . . . . . . .

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