Dec. 26, 2003 - 20:34 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Boxing Day

Holy tacos, here it is Boxing Day, and I had to Google it up. I did a little reading up on what Boxing Day is in some locations and what it was wayback when. It goes back to the days when servants were given gifts after Christmas Day. A day late for the servants and probably several dollars short too. I am sure some servants were treated kindly and given nice presents on such a day. Human nature being what it is, its pretty easy to guess that servants back then were essentially peons totally dependent on the Master of the House and their treatment depended on the goodwill of said master.

Its a beautiful concept though. Here in our family we see that the paper boy, mail man, and our apartment manager get a small monetary gift in a Christmas card -- before Christmas. They are about the only servants we know personally and people of good will who although are paid deserve just a bit more, but we want them to have what we can give in time to shop for an extra thing or two to put under the tree. Not touting it as SOP, just what Heather and I think is right.

Next comes the New Year, one of the times you realize that you have entered the next year in the series. After that comes birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and funerals. Our family is large enough now that there is at least one birthday a month, some months multiples.

There is a book review in The Rocky Mountain News today on "These Honored Dead: How the Story of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory" by Dan Danbom a free lance writer in Denver.

Some of what he says can be applied, I think to every era of our existence from day one. "History is written by the victors," the saying goes. One of the main themes of Thomas. A. Desjardin's eye-opening book about Gettysburg is that history is also written by the petty, the vindictive, the confused, the forgetful, the careless, the boastful, the sycophantic, the glory seeking, the blame-ascribing and the credit-grabbing."

Later there is this quoting Desjardin, "In the introduction, he sums it up: 'The truth about Gettysburg is buried beneath layer upon layer of flawed human memory and our attempts to fashion our past into something that makes our present a little easier to live in' . . . . .

To my mind those words apply to so many things in our world, past and present. I remember reading reproductions of Denver news papers praising Chivington for the "Sand Creek Massacre, way back then. When in actuality it was a massacre by our troops of the old, feeble, women and children.

I think there are too many different tale shifting people who claim to be historians who in actuality are like the media of today, pushing half truths, lies and and not stating all of the facts. Calling it the way the people want to read it I guess. Minor burr under my saddle probably and something I can do nothing to change. Add my opinion to the pile. History seems to be two words to me, His story.

Still trying to come out of the food induced hangover in which I consumed way more of the things I love than I should. Know better, but oh they were so good. Gentlemen choose your boxing gloves for today is Boxing Day . . . . . . . . .

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