It's generally a happy time, especially for kids. Adults though, no matter their station or status in life, always go through the season with at least a touch of sadness. In my opinion that's partially because we remember our childhood and our Christmas innocence when the whole world depended on Santa Claus, a toy gun or an electric train, or some other dream. Each Christmas we realize once again that the innocence is gone forever and we can never get back to that time.
The holidays are also a time for taking stock...which can make you sad too.
Personally, I think about the past year--what's been lost, what's been found, who's been hurt, who's been helped, what I've failed at, and what I've accomplished. After weighing it and worrying with it, I generally try to put the bad stuff aside and move on with the good.
I'm 73. Old by most measures. But I like to think that I've still got prospects. A few anyway. Things I want to work on, things I want to do, places I want to go, people I want to love.
Besides that, being above ground instead of below it means you can still enjoy the "good stuff." And there are lots of things that are clearly good. Good stuff. Cool stuff.
Like Ray Wylie (no relation to L. Ron) Hubbard says, there's lots of things under heaven that are cooler'n hell.
One being a 68 Camaro (although the lead pic shows a '55 or '56 Corvette)...candy apple red.
That song itself is "cooler'n hell." And since we caught a glimpse of Bonnie Raitt in that video illustrating things "cooler'n hell," here's the "honky tonkin" blues woman with Norah Jones just killing the Tennessee Waltz..with some great slide work by Bonnie at the break. Cooler'n hell. Indeed.
This old blog ain't necessarily "cooler'n hell," but it does give me some joy and a place to comment, explore, discover, rant, etc. It does that even though I sometimes ignore it for a long spell. But when I come back to it, the nice, inviting, white, and very blank space is waiting patiently for me to lay down some digital letters.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
GREAT musical selections! Norah and Bonnie together... they could kill just about anything, anything at all. And Ray Wylie is/was an inspiration for a lot o' guys I listen to.
ReplyDeleteAs for the holidays... yeah, we do a lot of stock-taking at this time o' year. My personal ledger usually balances out, it just takes a lil bit o' time to get it there.
I'm with you on taking a "lil bit o' time" to get things sorted out and get balanced enough to go on. That reminds me of another song...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaVEKpGQkNw
Not exactly the same context, but appropriate nonetheless. Van Morrison's version or Rodney Crowell's "Until I Gain Control Again." I've posted the song before and just might post it again tomorrow. I do like it a lot.
Dan, Yes, this time of year does bring about a lot of reflection on the past, and can be a little depressing at times, but there is still plenty of time to do the things you mention. I like to think of it as a continuing journey with miles to go before we rest. I'm sure there are many more adventures to yet be discovered along the way.
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