OFFENSIVE or NOT: Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays!
Wait, did I offend anybody?

If you look at certain types of social media, you can find people being offended by the simplest of things; even a phrase that conjures up a festive, secular greeting used during the winter holiday season for what seems like forever. (Sometimes during conversations in parking lots!!)
I don't recall a time throughout my 58 years not hearing it, although it was considered a respectful greeting to people you didn't know.
I was taught to use it in case you didn't know how people celebrated or not during this time of year.
It is sad to realize that we live in a world where people take their opinions to extremes, demanding people change because their feelings are hurt.
I understand, and we should want to be better, but wow! It has gone too far.
Everyone is complaining. Sarcasm is running wild. People say hurtful and distressing things without a care in the world to people, businesses, and places. They don't care if "they" are hurting you because you offended them first.
When I was young, I heard the phrase "Cowboy up already" or "Man up." I always thought it meant managing your situation and fixing it, ultimately being responsible. Some 40 years later, people say it "perpetuates misogyny and negatively impacts gendered language."
The phrases have been updated to "Suck it up, buttercup."
It sounds harmless to tell anyone to step up to their responsibilities, be strong of character and morals, take control of a situation, and fix it. That's what it meant when I grew up.
Trust me, when I was a teenager, I heard it used to describe my complaining about something. Did I take it personally; yes, of course. But not as a derogatory thing, to show less emotion or be less of a person. I thought I was supposed to grow up and be responsible. Isn't that the goal in life?
It is offensive now, and honestly, I don't know why.
For goodness sake, let us all grow up beyond the pettiness that has become a group sport of dogpiling on the misery of others.
As a society, we are slipping away from where we were once a great nation, with terrific people helping and supporting each other. Or at least it felt like it.
We were neighbors once, checking on the sick, watching each other's children or pets, and maybe mowing someone's lawn because they were out of town for whatever reason. We gathered for block parties, BBQs, or birthday parties. We cared about each other and looked out for others.
It wasn't perfect, but we were better when we were neighbors.
Now the internet, especially social media, has created spiteful, bitter people who don't have anything but cruelty and rudeness toward each other and our community.
I have said it before, and I will say it again. People on their own are incredible and capable of awesome and inspiring things. But, give them access to an internet provider, and they collectively become vicious, causing and feeding off someone else's misery. And if there isn't enough misery in the world, they happily add to it, sometimes with gleeful sarcasm and spite.
If our elders can look down upon us, they would frown on what society has become.
People struggle to communicate with one another about the things that matter to them. It's a hard enough life to maintain some form of sanity in 2022, and now we are heading into a new year, 2023, and the future doesn't look too bright from my viewpoint.
Why can't we get along, support, help, and make our communities the best, regardless of gender, color, or whom we love?
People are human and can disagree without being offensive toward each other, without spite, and killings. They might be offended; that usually happens most of the time. Because somewhere along the line, someone will choose not to, which is their right. That is the lesson of life, and the human race will slowly begin to repeat the patterns of the past once again.
T'is the season!
However, this is a special time of year, and I believe in miracles. We can make a change. Instead of taking part in the cruelty of the internet, why not post something positive? Be of good cheer for once, share a positive comment, a hope for goodwill in 2023. Lord knows we need it.
So, "Happy Holidays!"
NOTE: If you are offended, I apologize that I was born in another time when that meant something different, and I care about you enough to be respectful of your life and choices to wish you well.