Feeling The Christmas Spirit

  I'm sure most of you have noticed that it is now less than a week before Christmas. Some of you are still trying to find that perfect gift for that special someone while others have been done shopping for weeks and are now ready to relax for the holiday. Yes shopping can be stressful and at times it can even damper our spirits to the point that we may dread the holiday season. However, if we forget the stresses of shopping it's possible to find the beauty of Christmas and you won't have to travel far to enjoy it. In fact it's so easy to see you'd be hard pressed to miss it.

  Yes we all have that one neighbor that has spent his entire life waiting to emulate Clark Griswald (am I aging myself with this reference?) Yup, he's spent an entire months salary on colorful lights and Santa Clause cut outs complete with reindeer and has now plastered them throughout his yard. Now you have to close all the window blinds in the house just to sleep at night. The electrical hum emanating from the house reminds you of the substation down the street and you decide to keep the kids indoors just in case the radiation is harmful.

 Now the lights are flashing and dancing in strange configurations that don't make a lot of sense.  A sign he just put up in front of house tells you to tune your radio to 87.3 or something and out of curiosity you do to find out why. Because music! Yup the strange flashing light show is dancing to the music on the radio. You're not sure if it's cool or not but it doesn't matter because you're trying to figure out how the heck he got his own radio station. But cancer causing radiation and dancing lights are the least of the problems because if you build it, they will come and now they're here. Cars. Not just one but a line of them that bring traffic to a crawl as they follow one another bumper to bumper into your cul-de-sac with cameras and cocoa expelling "oohs" and "aahs" for hours on end and blocking your driveway when all you want to do is go to pick up a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk.

 Now glaring at him from your front window you imagine strangling him with his own Santa scarf. In your mind you'd be the neighborhood hero. The man that put an end to the "holiday hell house." Yep everyone would be singing your praises even as the cops loaded you in the backseat of their squad car with hands clasped in irons. At that thought you stop and realize that you've completely missed the point of the holiday. You know you've acted like a jerk all month and ignored your own family and responsibilities. You are the Grinch in Whoville and while your heart isn't going to grow three sizes there is a slight change that overcomes you. That guys house is beautiful and although it's over the top it has brought joy to all those who have come from far and wide to view it. In a way it will bring joy to you too. A sly smile crosses your face as you revel in the thought of the enormous power bill waiting in that son of gun's mailbox.
  Well I had a little fun at some people's expense today but be aware that I do see the beauty in Christmas lights and encourage those that choose to set them up to continue doing so every year. We here at Route To Adventure wish you all a warm and merry Christmas. 

Brandan