Good will towards men. It’s that time of year, again. I saw this wonderful film this year entitled Joyeux Nöel, made in 2005 that chronicles three leaders in surrounding trenches from Germany, Scotland and France during WWII. Their leaders arranged for a cease fire for Christmas Eve and they bonded over music, family, even the name of an opportunistic cat that scrounged from all three trenches.
Spontaneous armistice, sharing a drink, a song, a mass of shared belief and humanness. Perhaps that’s what we need in the USA at this time of great national duress. Leaders on one block, in one neighborhood, to forget red or blue, forget politics and remember what we all share in this great country of ours.
Yes, the soldiers leading the shared effort were reassigned, chastised by the military and even the church for embracing their humane nature instead of being constantly in a state of war. But the men rejoiced in the knowledge that they all put on their pants one leg at a time, so why not a pick-up soccer match? Why not allow all to bury their respective dead, in peace?
I’ve read that one candidate for president in 2024 wants to deny citizenship to anyone not of “our” religion, that in a nation of citizens some who fled England several hundred years ago to escape religious persecution to create a land with separation of church and state to keep there from being imposed a national religion. To lift voices in song to a shared nation regardless of language, religion, color, or sexual orientation is what makes our nation unique.
I have no beef with those who believe differently, only if they try to force their beliefs upon me. I simply believe that every individual is born with certain rights and should be free to exercise their free will as long as it does not impinge upon another’s. I believe in democracy and the rights our Constitution affirms us as Americans. I just think that due to certain circumstances we’ve allowed ourselves to get a little lost along the way, and that we can work it out as fellow Americans to get on the right track once again.
Every night, the view from my little corner of America looks out at many lights, many neighbors sitting down for a holiday meal with their families, giving thanks and looking forward to a new year that begins in just a few days time. Let’s make the most of it, by working together. We’ll only face self-created punishment if we fail to try to make peace with one another. Cheers and Happy New Year, Dee
Cooking with Dee 