I wanted to write a Christmas message to all of you on JoeUser, to hopefully give each of you a little holiday cheer.

This past year was a year of ups and downs for us. I started out the year 760 feet below the surface of Death Valley in the colemanite mine, while living in Pahrump, Nevada. As the year progressed, I moved on to a brief stint as a plumber, through a horrible period of unemployment, and onto my current "career" as a paper carrier/handyman.

I discovered JoeUser during the summer, while looking for blog sites, partly to the purpose of putting out information on the Libertarian Party to assist undecided voters in this past election. I discovered on JoeUser a unique internet community, and developed some friendships that have carried us through some lean times. When I found myself laid off and facing impending homelessness, I blogged about it, and the many wonderful people on this site responded. Everything you did for us was valued; your prayers, your thoughts, and the money that some contributed to help us along (it wasn't a large amount all told, but it was enough to give us the one thing we did not have: hope!). Eventually, one extraordinary blogger hooked me up with her grandfather, who had a house that was large enough for our family, on purchase terms that most anybody in this country would envy (we sit on four city lots and the home is a 4 bedroom home; very spacious for our family and we will eventually get pics for you to see). We have gradually settled in, and although we haven't found anything resembling prosperity, we have found sufficiency.

At no time in my rather cynical life have I ever found greater cause for optimism regarding my fellow humans. Those that assisted us were not confined to a singular ideological background; they helped because they saw someone needing help, and they responded. I thank all of you, each and every one; I will not use names for fear of accidentally omitting someone, but you know who you are. I love and cherish each and every one of you and hope you have a truly blessed holiday season.

As this Christmas season (for us) approaches, and holiday seasons for those of other faiths approach or have come and gone, I would like to take a minute to encourage you to think about what you can do to make the world a better place. You can do much more than you think with just a small amount of time and effort, and those who are truly needy will be truly grateful.

God bless each and every one of you, and may you have a blessed holiday season!

Respectfully submitted,

Gideon MacLeish