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Health & Fitness

Mary (and Joseph) Christmas and a Hoppy New Year

Looking Back Makes Looking Forward More Interesting.

The end of one year and the beginning of the next is always, at least for me anyway, a time of great paradox. 

I am writing this piece on Dec. 20 after taking a walk with my wife and mother on a crisp Adirondack morning. The view from Eagle Bay across 4th Lake, with the snow fence on the beach to keep the snowmobilers off the ice, and the majestic mountains in the background bring back 50 years of memories. The stark beauty always gives me perspective about how small we really are in the scheme of things. Thankfully the sun was shining and my early winter lack of light depression has yet to get a stranglehold. Tommorrow is the solstice and while it will get colder, at least the days will begin to grow longer.

This past week the world lost Christopher Hitchens and we have been served up a variety of reflections by friends and opponents. He was, as some have observed, an intellectuals intellect, and a kinder, gentler member of the so- called "new athiests." That he should perish during Advent is both ironic and intriguing, while of course he wouldn't have thought so. One commentator said that it will take decades to understand his impact on modern thought, while another mused that now Hitchens knows whether he was correct in insisting that God does not exist.

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On a parallel note, once again the chorus of Christmas protectors has begun to sing, decrying the loss of the sacred holiday at the expense of our hyper-materialism. Yes, we are pre-occupied with giving and getting, and yes it has become politically correct to substitute "seasons greetings" for "Merry Christmas," but that has never stopped me from sharing the good news of the Nativity with family and friends.

For as long as I can remember Merry Christmas itself has been a sanitized way of celebrating a season where Santa is the central figure instead of the Christ Child. I have no problem with an ecuemenical approach to the season of good will and peace on earth, and I see getting Christ back in Christmas as something that should be low on the list of Christian projects. Christ isn't a commoditiy or a figure that relies on being popular, and the creator, redeemer and savior doesn't need us to make sure his incarnation shows up on TV commericals. I haved found it easy enough to buy mother and child stamps at the post office. I have also become pretty good at wishing people a Mary and Joseph Christmas! I can think of no better way of countering the depressing planet plundering over-consumption of the season and the dwindling daylight of our northern winter than to reflect on the singular moment of human history. 

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In between visits with family and friends I also try to find time to reflect on the year past and consider, together with my wife Joan, goals and opportunities for the year ahead. 2012 promises to be interesting, with our oldest moving to Fairbanks Alaska with her Army seargant hubby and our youngest graduating from college. Add into that training with Joan as she prepares for the Boston Marathon, and I feel tired already. Joan and I ran the Cleveland Marathon this past May, so I can say that this winter promises to be a combination of many runs of 12 to 22 miles and a lot of nagging little injuries. 

While surely many of my life goals were not accomplished in 2011, a few small, "get-er-done" goals were. I managed to get two coats of stain on the house, and most of the trim repaired and painted. I also re-landscaped the front of the house.  Sadly, I came only slightly closer to helping bring peace on earth, but you knew that already.

I did help a dear friend brew a memorial batch of beer in honor of her late father, using some first year hops growin in the back 40. I got to savor the results a few weeks back and can see why she holds the distinction of the sole female professional brew master in Ohio. I can also see why so many are excited about the resurgence of local breweries.

One of my goals for 2011 is to become more of a locavore (which I think includes local micro-brews). Creating a diet and generating a recipe book for locally grown foods is a challenge in the light of our globalized food system. A bunch of us have done some work in this direction, and we have a Portage Local Food Project Facebook Page (please "like" us, if you do). We have begun to imagine a more sustainable local food supply — a key element of creating a more locally self-reliant, resilient region, insulated from the boom and busts of globalization. If more of us worked on living locally we can create thousands of jobs, reduce our consumption of energy, protect the planet and become better neighbors.

2011 has been quite a year, and 2012 holds much promise. I pray that you have health, a family to love and take care of, and a little time to help make our special town an even better place to live. And I hope you have a Mary and Joseph Christmas, and a Hoppy New Year. 

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