Unseasonal Greetings

Christmas may be over now, but you better be careful next time you say "Merry Christmas" to a stranger.  In this age of "me" and of "entitlement" it seems some people are offended even by a general expression of good will during the Christmas holiday season. Take the case of the American Airline ticket agent who, on Christmas Eve, smiled and said the forbidden words...Merry Christmas to a Scroogian passenger preparing to fly from New York's  LaGuardia Airport.

You see,  according to witnesses, the unidentified passenger became "irate" when a gate agent wished him a Merry Christmas as he boarded American Airlines flight 1140 to Dallas Fort Worth.  According to a spokesperson for American Airlines, the offended passenger boarded the plane and screamed for the name of the offensive agent who dared to offer him wishes of good will.  But he became even more upset once on board when an equally cherry flight attendant said those same bad words to him.

"You shouldn't say that because not everyone celebrates Christmas", he hollered at the flight attendant.  Further, American Airlines says Scrooge became "verbally aggressive towards the flight attendant and was asked to leave the plane." At that point the more sane passengers on board cheered loudly as he was taken off the flight. They should have given him coal for his stockings and told him to fly with Rudolph and the other reindeer next time, but instead, in the spirit of Christmas, the airline allowed him to board a later flight. No word on whether he was greeted with cheer on that flight.

I wonder if that passenger reflects the intolerance of our age?  And should we be offended at another person's happiness and good will directed toward us if we are not a believer in their holiday tradition? Is etiquette no longer to be practiced when our personal beliefs don't match those giving us well wishes? I would wish you a 'Happy New Year', but I better not. Just use your imagination.