CONTINUING THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

This was received too late to publish prior to Christmas.

Christmas is here. It's evident everywhere: on television, radio, in shops and malls and especially in our homes. As I watch this spectacle, I am struck by how odd it all seems. We espouse the importance of the true meaning of Christmas, but we buy, buy, buy and then anticipate the perfect holiday because we got the right gift for Aunt Mae.

How many times will you sing of peace on Earth, goodwill toward men? How often is the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) evident in your actions?

With all the hustle and bustle, it's easy to become self-absorbed in all the stress, errands and shopping. That self-absorbtion leads to our poor manners, rudeness, reckless driving and overindulgence in food and alcohol.

Regardless if you are Christian, Jew, Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist, regardless if you will celebrate the holiday, become determined to be less self-absorbed and more self-aware of how you affect others. If you feel that one person can't make a difference in the world, let me give you some ideas where you are needed to help make change. Making the world a better place doesn't have to be a great and grand gesture. It's the little things that make a difference.

-- Help the elderly. Open a door, shovel a sidewalk or simply relax when you're driving behind a senior. Give them a break. The stress you feel when you're in a hurry is generated from you and not from the fact that you're late and stuck behind a slower driving senior. That stress is often molded into a bad mood that will affect your whole day.

-- Help your fellow man. Learn to wait patiently in checkout lines. And don't shop until you drop. Taking out your frustration on sales clerks, cashiers and waitresses is unfair. If a cashier is truly rude to you or a waitress threatens to spit in your soup, it's probably because they've had one too many demanding customers.

-- Help those less fortunate. And there is always someone less fortunate. The options here are endless. Donate your time, money, old clothes, books, furniture, blood or organs. Call the Salvation Army, Red Cross or county health department for information on where your help can be utilized. Donate your money to small, local charities (they give more of your money directly to the cause than huge, worldwide organizations.) Consider donating to local homeless shelters, the AIDS Project, a battered-women's shelter and local food banks. The Red Cross needs blood especially at this time of year. And the greatest gift one can give is life to someone needing a new heart, kidney or liver. Make arrangements to donate your organs by contacting your local hospital. They can tell you exactly what you need to do. Simply signing the back of your driver's license isn't enough.

-- Help the children. Yours or someone else's. Spend time with your children. Time is always more important than the things you can give them. If you don't have children of your own, become a Big Brother/Big Sister. Become a leader. Make your child feel good about herself or himself. Don't shame, blame or hit your child. Discipline is important to proper child development. Learn to do it properly. Take a parenting class.

-- Help the country. Make sure your representatives in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., know how you feel about issues. Don't just complain. Complain to a congressman. If they get out of touch with America, it's because we let them. The lines of communication go both ways. Burn 'em up.

-- Help the world. Recycle glass, plastic, paper and cardboard. Volunteer to clean up our parks and roadways. Stop illegal dumping by reporting it when you see evidence.

I don't expect others, nor do I, to try to do everything I've listed. If everyone would pick one thing to try -- create a ripple -- the ripples of your efforts would combine with the ripples of others to become waves. To mix my metaphors, each journey starts with a single step. Take a step. Live the message.

You can feel good this Christmas by feeling that you made a difference, if even a small one. Remember, come Christmas evening when you are gazing at the remnants of discarded wrapping paper and boxes, the best gifts we give cannot be bought.

Kyle Laclede is a Cape Girardeau resident.