I celebrate Christmas with the family. When I was paid per hour (instead of salary), Christmas benefited me by doubling my pay and the boss let me take some other day off. With my current job, I can work or not work on Christmas.
I do feel a little annoyed by the inconvenience of the closed stores on the holidays (Christmas and others) and other restrictions on purchases such as not being able to buy alcohol until after noon on Sunday. However, in Spain (Sevilla), every day must be a holiday because while spending the summer there, most stores weren't open when they were supposed to be open! Jason On Aug 30, 10:22 am, Clogtowner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi y'all - I got the urge for an argument - is this the right room? > I'd like to get some views on Christmas which is a Federally > designated religious holiday. Federal employees are forced to take > this religious holiday, so banks, post offices and Government offices > etc. etc. have to close. How many atheists OBSERVE this religious > vacation? > Considering myself a non-hypocritical lifetime member of the atheist > community, I have followed a pattern similar (different locations) to > the following, on the sacred holiday to recognise Jesus' birthday, > (yeah I know) over the last 30 years. > Awake as usual around 8am at the casino hotel. Use the computer these > days for a couple of hours organizing finances and trying to trade > with markets which are open (Muslim etc.) Jog around the parking lot > or excercise and take a shower. Drive to the I 55 and eat lunch at > either Waffle House or IHOP which are the only two restaurants open - > none to my knowledge in Memphis. I stand in line happily despite my > normal aversion to lines. As the parking lots are full, I'm happy to > walk - even in the rain. What a glorious feeling! I buy a newspaper in > the restaurant. This is the only day of the year that I buy one, > because they are published on the special day! I tip the waitress > well, and thank her for being a good atheist and working on the holy > day. > After lunch comes the biggest shopping day of the year. I visit > several Walgreens stores and stock up on 12 months supply of > toiletries, vitamins etc., again feeling quite happy to stand in line > and search for parking spaces on their busiest day of the year. I then > find a Mom & Pop gas station and fill up the car while spending a half > hour buying stuff I don't need in their store. > Next is a trip to West Memphis and a shopping spree at all the truck > stops. This year I'll be replacing my old radar detector etc. As early > evening comes, I return to the Southaven/Horn Lake area to find a > restaurant and bar. I know of none open in Memphis. Last year it was > Hooters for dinner and on to the Fox and Hounds for drinks, despite > the fact that I can eat and drink free of charge at the casino. I end > the day with a gambling session where there are no clocks, no windows > and I'm sad to say a few decorations these days. I call this "business > as usual." > I wonder if anyone else is as committed/crazy/daft/non-hypocritical as > I am? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
