Piling offense on offense

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This year the words "Merry Christmas!" come from me with a sense of urgency, impact and a force of delivery which has never happened before. I mean it this year more than I ever have before.

It's not just a seasonal greeting. It has, for me anyway, very little to do with a religious message either.

The words "Merry Christmas" offend some people.

I'm all about that, in case you haven't noticed and not for the reason most people believe.

At the same time, there appears to be far more to it than even that.

I dropped a letter at the Post Office and as I exited I belted a cheery "Merry Christmas!" to T. She fired right back with the same words and the same amount of enthusiam. I walked out of the Post Office stepping a little higher, walking a little faster and a little happier than when I walked in.

Neither of us was offended and we were the only two people in the front area. Someone in back may have heard, but I do not know.

As I write this I think.

T is a quasi-federal government employee as the Post Office is a quasi-federal government agency, And yet, she was happy to tell me "Merry Christmas," a sentiment expressed on the clock which would make federal government lawyers wince.

While no one was offended in our merry exchange (that I know of), the possibility that someone could be offended was certainly there.

I like it. A lot.

I could get into an etymological discussion here, but I won't. That's tangential to my point today, but I'm not going to slide that way.

Rather, if you are one of those people who prefers the term "Happy Holidays," I remind you "Holiday" is a fused term of the words "holy" and "day." So if you say "Happy Holidays" you may not think you are speaking of religious matters, but you are. My "Merry Christmas" is just more narrowed in focus according to many people.

So.

And if that offends you, please note you have made me happy. If you share my expression of joy, note also that you have made me happy. If you don't care one way or another, you still make me happy because you read this.

Because, by the time you get to this sentence, I've made you engage in the activity that spurs me to write pieces like this.