Columns

Thanksgiving is behind us, and we’re sated and, perhaps, overstuffed, but there’s more “stuff” and nonsense in the works.

Christmas and New Year’s Day are on people’s minds, and so is the word “holidays.”

And that they are, but there’s a bone of contention for some people when someone says, Happy Holidays.

Well, they are holidays, and we want to be happy, but whatever happened to our “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and Mele Kalikimaka,” as my Hawaiian roommate, Betty Ganiko, taught me over 40 years ago? And we mustn’t forget Happy Hanukkah, either!

Time changes things. Or at least, the lack of time changes things by rendering them trite, banal.

Ever notice when someone utters something while taking off from a red light, or on the way out the door? In my case, in the rush,  I sometimes fail to understand and respond with something all-purpose, like “You’ve got it” or “That’s correct” or “I see what you mean” or “Yes, I agree” or “Good point.”

Abraham Lincoln’s name has been in the news lately with the release of the Steven Spielberg produced  film “Lincoln.” As is portrayed in the movie, President Lincoln led our country through a low point in our history at a time when we killed over 600,000 of our own citizens during our Civil War.  He had to carry the weight of a divided country on his shoulders each day of his presidency.  

A comic strip I remember from my childhood showed Dagwood helping Blondie with the Thanksgiving dishes. He broke one, causing Blondie to say, “If you break one more plate, I won’t let you help me with the dishes any more.” And a light bulb went on in Dagwood’s speech balloon.

Would a Spanish version of the same comic strip have used a slightly different word with a slightly different meaning?

Let me explain: