Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa,

Here's a list of 13 things I'd like for Christmas. I know some of these things are a lot to ask, but you can do it! You've got all that magic dust. Sprinkle it around!

1. Less world strife. I've asked for "peace on Earth" every year but I guess the warmongers' wishes for ways to bully people and make money off the despair of others wins out. So how about they just get a little less in 2010?

2. True health care reform in the United States. That stuff that's before Congress looks from here like a gimme to the insurance companies. Could we please put people first and corporate profits last for a change?

3. A viable third political party. There are a lot of folks in the United States who don't feel represented by either party at the moment. A viable third party would make a world of difference.

4. Empathy. Folks seem to be greatly lacking in this these days; a little more caring about the fellow next door seems in order. Why can't we have the Christmas spirit year round?

5. Less talk, more action. I hear a lot of garbled verbiage these days about things that are wrong with the world, like all that "they've taken Christ out of Christmas" and stuff that doesn't really matter. Christ is in Christmas so long as it is in your heart, and if you need to see it elsewhere, then you're the one with the problem. Let's do something about the stuff that matters, like building houses for poor people or giving them jobs or something important like that.

6. Better leadership. I am pretty disillusioned with the folks who are in charge, as you might can tell from my above wishes.

7. Equality for women. Whatever folks say, we have a long way to go before this one happens. I'd like to see some movement forward. Just a smidgen. What do you say?

8. Embracing the green. Let's move toward cleaner air and using less resources not because of global warming or whatever, but because it is the right thing to do. I mean, just how does a person argue in favor of more pollution? I don't get it. I like to breathe, not wheeze.

9. True religion. I am sure there are nations out that there worship something other than capitalism, but I think the religion of capitalism as preached in the U.S. really needs a rethink. I have a strong feeling that Jesus wasn't too into capitalism, either, so maybe we need to take a strong look at that.

10. Less angst. Everywhere you look, people are sad, tired, angry. Just last night a gunman took hostages in Wytheville! Wytheville! Not so far down the road. We need to be a calmer society.

11. An option for the newspaper business. Okay, this one is purely selfish on my part because I would like to get back to writing my local news stories, but I'm asking for an entire section of society. Besides, people need to read and be better informed so maybe the changes need to start there, with folks actually caring about what is happening in their neighborhood and state.

12. More love. I think everyone needs a little more of this in some fashion or another.

13. Happiness for everyone, if just one for this holy night.


Learn more about Thursday Thirteen here! This is my 119th time to write a Thursday Thirteen!