All I want for Christmas is...

from JoeUser Forums

Mark Teixeira to sign with the Washington Nationals

Well, not really.  I would like that to happen, and would happily celebrate such a move if it were to happen, but that isn't what I really would like for Christmas this year (Christmas 2008).

What do I really want for Christmas 2008?  In most years, I admit, I'd be one of the materialistic, demanding, consumers that want things for me! me! me!  Santa Baby, bring me that 32" LCD flat panel.  Santa Baby bring me a new video game console.  Santa Baby bring me a bonus at work.  Santa Baby, bring me a bunch of Blu-ray movies, or gift cards to spend at places where I could buy toys for myself.  Yup, most years that would be me.

This year, 2008, not so much.

Why the change?  I don't know.  Perhaps it's a sign that I'm maturing and growing as I age, or perhaps it's a sign that I feel beat down by the negative Nelly's that keep reporting on how things are going to hell in a hand-basket for our economy and the world in general.  Or perhaps it's a combination of both.

I'm a realist.  I know the economy isn't great.  Far from it.  The situation with the automotive manufacturers (GM and Chrysler especially, with Ford not being terribly far behind them), on top of the banking and financial market problems, on top of companies announcing more and more layoffs, has beaten me down.  People that I know (well, not necessarily know in person, but know via conversations on the world wide web) have lost jobs.  Their friends and family have lost jobs.  My local friends and family have had issues with finding work and making ends meet, and my own direct family have had issues with finding jobs.  For as optimistic as things were a year or so ago, this year things are much more pessimistic, and even though the incoming President of the U.S.A. promises change, the ability to effect such change isn't going to be all that easy.

We're borrowing more and more money against our futures.  We have little choice though as failing to do something would likely result in a depression that made 1929 seem like a walk in the park.  Everything in the U.S. and for that matter the world, economy is in some way interconnected and letting one segment fall would just start the chain of dominoes to fall one right after the other, causing the mess to just get that much bigger and harder to clean up after.

Sorry for the somewhat political digression there, but you should see where I'm coming from as I start to set up my grown up Christmas list for 2008.

My Christmas list for 2008 is a simplistic one, or so I believe and hope.  Simplistic, but not necessarily easy to have delivered.

For 2008 I want a healthy economy.  Healthy financial markets, realistic and healthy lending policies, and jobs for those that want to get out and work.

I want investment in infrastructure.  Road building.  Investment in power generation and other things that would offer benefits for years to come.

I want peace and prosperity.  I want the troops we have stationed in foreign lands to come home soon, leaving peace and stability behind.

I want individual wants to give way to needs, and not just needs for one, but needs that benefit many.

I hope we enter 2008 with a spirit of optimism that helps take us through the hard choices and hard work that lies ahead of us.  I hope that as we get through the year we find we can perhaps add some of our own personal wants onto the lists we'll have in 2009 without feeling guilt that so many other needs must come first.

So please Santa Baby, do what you can with my grown up Christmas list and I'll do what I can to help my fellow man where possible.  I'll try to donate some money to my favorite charities so they may help others as well.  I'll try to smile and be cheerful and keep up my spirits and those of others around me.  Perhaps we can spread some optimism to others and start a chain of infectious optimism that can help everyone feel better as we go.

926 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Excellent article.  I get so tired of the moping, depressing, the sun is never going to shine again attitudes I have been seeing lately.  Thing are tough but my hope is that this is a bump.  This is temporary.  Things will get better.  There are many people who have never had hard times.  People have made it through much worse than our current situation.  And hey I still want Texeira to come back to the Rangers.  :D

Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top

This was a very mature article as well as being optimistic.

Since this is such and optimistic and upbeat article I would like to put my wish in.

Could the Mariners at least be contenders? Please, I have been good.O:)  

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

I want a Core 2 Quad - just something simple. ;)

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Isn't it ironic that despite the current state of the economy, Tex has at least 3 offers for $150 million on the table and at least another that will be larger still on the way (from Boston).  We've lost our way in this country.  There is no value on the dollar.  Whatever happened to the fiscal conservative.  Look at our government giving out cash hand over fist to failing companies.  Bailouts here, bailouts there, bailouts everywhere!  Pretty soon Major League Baseball is going to be asking for a bailout because they won't be able to afford their payrolls!

That being said, I do want the Nationals to sign Teixeira.  It would be a GREAT Christmas present and would give us something to feel good about until the first week of the season.  At that time we would be reminded that the rest of the batting order would probably struggle even up in Syracuse.

Ahh but it's still better than those 30+ years of not having our own team.

Go Nats!!