Dan Roberts [12/29/2004]

To the editor:Well, it seems Bill Marvel had a Merry Christmas in South Conway since he's hard at it, churning out his fiction and vitriolic columns. His latest windmill assault is trying to banish Christmas from the human vocabulary. In his latest column, he writes "Turning one's back on all of that (Christmas) may be the quickest path to true happiness." I would add, "Or not." The ultimate basis of Christmas was an act of love. The fact that mankind has perverted the meaning of Christmas into a wild commercial venture shouldn't take away its true meaning and true purpose, which we celebrate at Easter. We all balk at the rash commercialization of the holiday, but that's no reason to turn one's back on it. I would offer if Mr. Marvel feels so guilty, he should seek confession with a priest or perhaps seek psychoanalysis.His opening statement of "I cannot count all the ways life has seemed better since I decided to withdraw from the insanity of Christmas" is actually quite selfish. If Mr. Marvel really wanted to withdraw from Christmas, why is he compelled to write about it? If he wants to experience the Christmas spirit or if he feels guilty about his material wealth, why doesn't he do something about it? For instance, he could volunteer to feed the homeless, or even offer shelter to them during the Christmas holidays. I'm sure there are plenty of homeless folks just itching to see South Conway in the dead of winter. They might even return next year. Or never leave. Wouldn't that be fun? Think how good he would feel. Or he could contact Meals on Wheels and offer to drive and drop off food for the elderly. The old folks would get a kick out of meeting him and it may even change his perspective on any number of things. It may even make him feel satisfied that he's actually helping people. Isn't that what liberals say they want to do? Anyway, Mr. Marvel makes the point in his column regarding his military service and how lonely he felt when he left home. What a shock. Many of us who served and left home felt that way, too. His experience is hardly unique. Now then, parents I had and uncles I have (still living by the grace of God) who ventured forth in World War II went off to fight with the knowledge they may never return. Those guys of the greatest generation really had it tough and the odds were stacked against them. I understand Mr. Marvel's perspective, but many of us had similar experiences leaving home to join the military. Many of us who survived came to appreciate what our parents did for us. My parents' generation came through the hell of World War II (not to mention the Depression), to return to rebuild a better and a profitable America and make some fantastic achievements too numerous to list for this letter. They really had guts and they didn't whine. If Christmas has become overcommercialized, we can lament that outcome, but not the meaning of Christmas and what our parents wanted for us. While Christmas may seem gluttonous to some, remember, it and all that it entails was born out of love. Like the original reason for the season.Merry Christmas, Bill.