I don’t know about you, but I am thoroughly tired of and disgusted with all of this &uot;holiday tree&uot; vs. &uot;Christmas tree&uot; turmoil.

And that’s exactly what it has done all over the country this month. It has cast a disheartening shadow of turmoil over what should be one of the happiest times of the year. Well, I’m done with it, and I plan to go about my merry way celebrating Christmas regardless of a few namby-pamby rabble-rousers.

Once again, the liberal mainstream media have given plenty of coverage to a fickle minority who went about touting an opinion that is not held by a consensus of the vast majority. Therefore, because of the shrill shrieks of a few that said we should say &uot;Happy Holidays&uot; or having a &uot;holiday&uot; tree as opposed to saying &uot;Merry Christmas&uot; or having a &uot;Christmas&uot; tree, the rest of the country is left scratching its head wondering where all of this began.

I’ll tell you where it began. Enter one or two doomsayers carrying signs. Enter 25 cameramen and reporters and there you go. The next thing we know the country is blindsided with the latest &uot;idea&uot; that finds itself sweeping our nation from sea to shining sea. And, like I said earlier, it leaves the rest of us wondering what just happened.

You can’t even turn on the television without questioning the loyalties or motives of the advertisers. You hear &uot;Happy Holidays&uot; or &uot;Seasons Greetings&uot; or &uot;Merry Christmas,&uot; all of which are perfectly fine with me. It’s not like they asked my opinion on the matter. Then, within the twinkling of an eye, you see a commercial explaining why everyone should banish Wal-Mart from all conscious thought.

It’s maddening and ridiculous at the same time. It’s all a red herring – a distraction from the true meaning and spirit of this time of the year.

If I knew I wouldn’t have to pay so much money to replace it from one of these stores, I’d hurl that TV right out the window.

With these thoughts in mind, let’s consider true gifts to be given and received not just during the Christmas season, but every day of the year.

We think we have to spend the all-important dollar for expensive gifts that supposedly show just how much we truly care for someone. Why not just give of yourself? What is it that you can share from your life with someone else? What gift, talent or skill do you have to offer to another living soul that would enrich that person’s life? Many of us may think we don’t have any special gifts or talents to teach another person. Are you a good listener? Could you prepare a meal for someone? Could you babysit one afternoon? Could you clean someone’s home or run errands for him or her?

Instead of buying yet another toy or video game for a child, why not teach him or her how to play baseball or how to drive a car or show him how to build a bookcase?

You see, it all boils down to this question: What is the most precious thing we have to give to another? Our time. When you spend time with another person, you’ve given something you can never take back. Ah, but the return policy is so much better.

Regina Grayson is a reporter with the Greenville Advocate.

She can be reached at 334-383-9302, ext. 126 or via e-mail at regina.grayson@greenvilleadvocate.com.