L.A. will be out and about shopping this holiday season
Robin Vaughn, a Trenton West Ward councilwoman, espoused a conspiracy theory regarding a Trojan Horse plot by politicians to take over Trenton Water Works.
Love conspiracy theories but nothing offers debate like stark reality which leads us to Split Decision and holiday shopping.
Online shopping grows as humans retreat into their homes and the U.S. leads a world-wide plot to kill Jesus a second time and to make God obsolete.
Can you imagine a world without God or love. Atheists will offer an affirmative, agnostics will voice indifference while those of us who believe need only confess our adoration and faith.
Online shopping offers more distancing from people, a Christmas creeping of isolation. Convenient? Yes. No lines. No baby strollers. No nothing, except a click here or there, a credit card number or conversation with some phone business associate jockey named Lola. (Fa-la-la-la-Lo-la).
Meanwhile, a growing billion dollar business allows for dinners to be delivered on doorsteps as we move toward a nation of multi-colored recluses, afraid of our neighbors and suspect of every different face.
We order movies online, unable to navigate a shared armrest and unwanting to feel uncomfortable about a film’s subject matter.
Online Christmas gift shopping allows for an obliteration of bumping into a former classmate or past love interest.
Dan Fogelberg could not have penned his famous “Same Old Lang Syne” song without being out and about.
“Met my old lover in the grocery store The snow was falling Christmas Eve I stood behind her in the frozen foods And I touched her on the sleeve.”
It’s a tremendous tale about lost love and a special remembrance that dreams end as time moves on.
While holidays produce emotional and psychological challenges for many, being out and about with people, in checkout lines and outdoors remains a personal necessity.
Even bumping into colleague Jeff Edelstein, his wife, Kelly, and their three-child brood, at say, Trenton Farmers Market, underscores this most wonderful time of the year that acknowledges another year over laced by a hope for peaceful existence, joy and unyielding love.
Being old-fashioned delivers a special feeling at this later stage of life.
So, hope to see you in line at Starbucks or walking in some mall.
Say hello. Give a hug. Try to get those from your computer.
Merry Christmas. (Make this feeling last throughout the year.)
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@Trentonian.com.