All I want for Christmas is … a lot

By JoAnne Young

These wishes are on my list for Christmas … if only someone was in a position to grant them, or if the stars and moon could align … or whatever it would take. 

 

* I met a hen this month, living in a backyard coop in the middle of the city with seven other hens. Her name is Brienne, named after Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones. And she apparently takes seriously being the namesake of the first woman of the Seven Kingdoms to become a knight. Three times Brienne the hen has faced down a fox in her chicken yard, putting herself firmly and bravely between the fox and her seven peers. Three times the buff Orpington has ended up in the mouth of the invading fox, and so far her watchful owners have been able to save her. As a gift to me, and to her in this season of giving, I’d like knighthood to be bestowed on this chick and for the barnyard gods to keep her safe. 

 

* More women in elected positions in national, state and local government, please. And when they are elected, they need to be treated with the respect they earn. Research and studies find that women must work harder to get elected and stay in office, and so they pay more attention to detail, are more willing to listen to and aid constituents, do more preparation for daily tasks, are more likely to cosponsor bills that help their voters, and bring more federal money to their districts. When the Nevada Legislature became the first in which women outnumbered men, they passed policies to expand protections for pregnant workers, bills for paid sick leave and legislation that helped victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Not all women are like-minded, of course, but we can hope for independent thinkers to be elected and respected.

 

* We need a really talented Santa for this one: To restore the ability of Americans to reason and to investigate, beyond social media, before they determine what is truth. 

 

* A man, if he and the women were so inclined, could potentially impregnate two to three women a day. In January through September, nine months, that would be between 546 and 819 babies from the seed of one man. One woman can get pregnant only once in nine months. … So clearly, society is placing the birth control responsibilities on the wrong gender. It has been said that the real culprit is known and on the loose. Santa, can you get the government, if they insist on the need to control reproduction, to shift its focus?  

 

* This gift would take some work by all of mankind and womankind. The world needs to be rid of the greed – that intense desire for wealth and power and possessions that permeates businesses and governments and dwells in people. One high profile example is Purdue Pharma and its greed in manufacturing and distributing the highly addictive opioid oxycontin that led to so many deaths. Greed maims and kills and leaves families to grieve for a lifetime. 

 

* More handwriting, please. It unleashes creativity, sharpens the brain, and forces us to slow down and appreciate what we are writing about and who will read it. Please, Santa, help me to deliver on the handwritten notes I have promised. 

 

* My husband, since we have no chickens, would like to see more of the beautiful fox that has trotted across our back yard a couple of times in the past year. And add a wish for the wellbeing of all wildlife.  

* And finally, this gift would be one that keeps on giving: To keep a fresh memory of the good parts of being a child. Spending about six hours of every weekday learning and studying and gaining critical thinking skills, sometimes alone and sometimes surrounded by friends and mentors. Then playing and creating before story time, which can take many forms today, from books to podcasts to movies, and then a refreshing sleep. And then, for the weekend, good meals and family and friend time. 

 

I told you it was a lot. Many good elves are needed. And I wish you all the granting of your lists, too. 

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