Four words of truth: I am a machine. I know this because I have no free will; it just appears that I do. And appearances lie.

I know you don’t want to hear this at Christmas—neither do I. Nevertheless, it is true.

Machines are not responsible entities. If you cannot prove this to yourself, you are a bare beginner.

Machines don’t have feelings; they only have reactions.

When something bad happens, the machine reacts.

Depression hits me hard the week before Christmas. Guilt because I cannot get out and shop. Shame because I don’t look the same in the mirror.

But behind it all is a profound lack of self-love. How can a machine love? As Vernon Howard said, “How can a Cadillac love a Ford?”

For those of you in denial about what I have written, you are still lying to yourselves.

All a machine can do is act like a machine is programmed to act.

Shall I call us robots? Rock’em Sock’em Robots….

Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho….the machine is stuck in a loop. Merry Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho.

Vicki Woodyard