Blog #523: Why I, a Neurodivergent, Say That We Should Appreciate the Holidays of 2025 More Following A Series of Violent Acts?

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As you know, we are coming the close of another year and this is the time of year where we come together to celebrate the fact that there should be peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. If you have been following me for some time, you know that I do a yearly rendition of Dr. James Allan Francis' essay, "One Solitary Life" every thanksgiving to empathize the importance of what the holiday season really is, no matter how you celebrate it.

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But this holiday season is one of those seasons where things are tainted by something that is not welcome at any time or any place in our world and that is the news of violence. In the course of a single weekend, we saw a pair of mass shootings at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island that killed 2 and injured 9 and also on Bondi Beach in Australia that targeted Jewish citizens celebrating Hanukkah.

On top of that, there was also the shocking news surrounding legendary actor and film director, Rob "Meathead" Reiner and his wife, Michele being murdered by their eldest son, who has a history of issues and now is paying for them.

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When we look at each of these tragedies, we often have to ask ourselves "why?" Why out of all the times of year for these things to happen, why does it have to be during the holiday season? It's important to remember that the holidays aren't for everyone, but there are other ways of taking your frustrations out just by having a conversation with someone and simply appreciating what you have right now in your lives. The people who were attacked at Bondi Beach and Brown University likely had the fact that they were appreciative of the fact that they had everything they need.

You had students at Brown University looking forward to their final examinations before spending time with family and friends over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. The last thing they wanted was for some clown to walk into a building and target a classroom filled with college students trying to achieve that goal.

I also have a strong personal connection to Brown University as I drove by the school thousands and thousands of times while traveling through Providence. In fact, seeing images of areas in Providence where police were stationed being shown on the national news kind of made my skin crawl. I mean, was I expecting places that I frequented in my life be shown on the National News as a neurodivergent? No, of course not. Many of my classmates, teachers and acquaintances have attended Brown University in some way or another, so it's doubly difficult to consider the fact that something like this could happen in my own backyard.

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Then, there was the shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia. This was also personal as some of my friends and colleagues are of the Jewish faith and the fact that there were targeted simply because they were Jewish is sickening enough as it is. Chanukah is known as the festival of lights and is just as sacred as any other holidays. The fact that a father and son could believe in such a warped ideology and do this act not only affects the Jewish community, but all communities as well.

But I also want to take a moment to relay to you a quote from Fred Rogers that resonated with this shooting that in times of crisis, always look to the helpers and believe me there were helpers, among them a Muslim fruit stand owner who actually confronted the shooters and disarmed one of them. We are also seeing that at Brown University as faculty and students are coming together to comfort those affected by Saturday's shooting.

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Finally, there was also the murder of actor and acclaimed film director, Rob "Meathead" Reiner and his wife, Michele at the hands of their eldest son. Now, like a lot of people, I grew up on Rob Reiner whether he was the Meathead to Archie Bunker's Bigot on "All in the Family" to the films he directed including "Stand By Me" (1986), "The Princess Bride" (1987), "When Harry Met Sally" (1989) and of course, "A Few Good Men" (1992).

So, when I first heard the news Monday morning that two people were found dead at Rob Reiner's home, at first I thought it was probably something that they weren't directly involved in until I found out that they were the victims. But looking at the case of Rob Reiner, I take a very deep look at the fact that as parents, Rob and Michele did what was best for their eldest son, Nick. They wanted to help him conquer his demons and what was the thanks? Nick taking their lives. Now, he has caused more damage that can never be fixed and in thinking he got rid of the nagging in his life, he caused nothing but grief and sadness.

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Looking at each of these tragedies, it's just another reminder that we need to not take life for granted and appreciate the good things in life we already have. For many people, the holidays are a time for dragging others along with you to retail stores for the best presents that may be otherwise not appreciated, to posing for Christmas Cards that cause more anxiety and unwanted boundaries being crossed, to just simply trying to force a Grinch or a Scrooge to get into the festive holiday spirit.

I feel, as a neurodivergent, that many people (myself included) sometimes take life for granted and never appreciate the good things until it is too late. I saw this a lot when I was working in retail for almost 20 years where people forget what is truly important and instead focus on the opposite of all what the holidays are supposed to be about.

That's why I ask all of you for this holiday season to take a moment to stop and be thankful for the good things you had obtained over the course of this past year. Ignore the commercialism and focus on the true meaning of the season. Have respect for others who are trying to achieve their own goals such as completing a college final, celebrating a religious holiday or just being good parents who want what is best for you.

All of these will make a difference in the long run, you can be sure of that.

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Catch you all later!!