Day 224 - Tis the Season
I’m such a sucker for yule tide. I’m happy that I equate the season with finding the festive within rather than the consumer beast its become over the years. Yuletide began as a Germanic pagan festival to bring people together and celebrate the spirit of community during the coldest (and often most dangerous) time of year.
- royal piece
In a season when produce and livestock were scant, families would combine their resources and generate festivity, often times in order to stay alive. Looking back on how much resource and supply abounds in my neck of the woods, I am swamped with gratitude and appreciation for how far we’ve come as a species.
Really people, good job climbing out of the mud. Not every single one of us has achieved a lifestyle commensurate with kings, but compared to royalty two hundred years ago, more than half of the world would make them jealous. Hot running water, electricity, gast stoves…. Astronomical luxuries.
Today, I’m going a little beyond the typical and buying a chess set as a gift for my son and his friends who like chess as much as he does. The gift is designed to be shared. Or, never played with. His choice. Its a diamond encrusted set that costs, exactly $224,000.
This will be sort of like a last minute stocking stuffer for the little guy. I should probably get him a travel set too, just so he doesn’t feel teased by the gift. I mean, he does like to play chess, much more than he likes diamonds. It feels luxurious to buy it for him, however impractical.
Have a fantastic holiday. Cuddle up, keep each other warm, and share your carrots.