Surviving Christmas
…Well, by the time you read this, Thanksgiving will have officially passed, and we hope everyone had a happy and safe Turkey Day. But now comes some bad news: Christmas is less than a month away! (Go ahead and let the panic set in for a few minutes. I’ll wait.)
Okay, now that we’ve all caught our collective breaths, we can think about just exactly what that means to each one of us, and how hectic the next month is going to be. And trust me, there will be no shortage of things to get stressed about.
For me, nothing is more stressful than Christmas shopping. Here’s what I have to look forward to: Standing in long lines at multiple stores, watching your checking account disappear, dealing with unruly shoppers who are ready to run you down with their carts, and frantically racing around malls and stores at the last minute because you forgot someone on your list, only to find that the item you need has just sold out. Ugh.
But nothing is more stressful than having to buy gifts for the spouse. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy shopping for my better half, and I’m certainly not implying that she is a materialistic person who has to have everything. In fact, it’s just the opposite: She is so focused on making sure that everyone else has a nice Christmas that she never really wants anything for herself. However, her selflessness does have a downside; you see, it’s so hard to shop for someone who, when asked what she wants for Christmas, simply smiles and says, “You don’t have to get me any gifts. I don’t need anything.”
Men, take note: Whenever you hear the woman of your life respond with that answer, it should send a chill up your spine. Because it means you have your work cut out for you and you have to get creative. Because there is no way in the world you’re going to wake up Christmas morning and not have something nice for your woman under the tree. Even if she doesn’t “need anything.”
So, after nearly a quarter of a century together, I’m going to have to figure out what to get her, a special gift that she truly deserves for putting up with me all these years. Something that should almost make up for all the headaches I’ve caused her.
Boy, do I have my work cut out for me.
(And don’t even get me started on how I feel about having to find some cool toys for our one-year-old Bryson for Christmas. Not only are today’s gadgets for kids expensive, but I am dreading having to deal with combing the area for the best deals and then trying desperately not to have a mental breakdown when I get home with items that need “some assembly required.”)
So, these are a few of my not-so-favorite things about the upcoming Christmas season that I am dreading. But with any luck, I will become less and less of a Scrooge as we get closer to December 25, and maybe my holiday won’t be so darned ho-ho-hopeless…
…Okay, I know I just used up a lot of space complaining and whining about things that annoy me, even if a lot of my rantings are written with a dash of humor and my tongue firmly in cheek. (Oh, who am I kidding: Most of the time I’m just plain crabby.)
But truth be told, I honestly do enjoy Thanksgiving more than most holidays, and I think it’s because it is a rare and special holiday that isn’t consumed by consumerism, a special time where we should all reflect on what we should truly be thankful for.
It’s no secret that newspaper journalists tend to get wrapped up with covering a great deal of “bad news” on a regular basis. Whether it’s covering car accidents, fatal fires, bank robberies, criminal court cases or any other negative incident, it’s easy for reporters and editors to thrive on “bad news” because it’s just the nature of the business.
Oh sure, most newspapers strive to balance out the bad stuff by offering an occasional helping of uplifting or feel-good human interest stories (and not to toot a loud horn, but I like to believe that we here at the Messenger really make a concentrated effort in giving our readers exclusive stories of “good news” that you won’t find anywhere else)…But the reality is, the life of a typical journalist spends many a day surrounded by cynicism and negativity. Which may be why I cherish a time like Thanksgiving, when we discover that there are good people in our communities who are committing acts of random kindness.
For example, we want to commend the students and faculty at Graysville Elementary School, who concluded their annual food drive on Nov. 15 by collecting 1,344 pounds of food to be donated to the Corner Cupboard Food Bank in Waynesburg. I was recently invited to visit the school to take a picture of the class that brought in the most food, which was Mrs. Behm’s third grade class. Her class alone collected the highest amount of non-perishable items.
While I was at the school, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jan Caldwell, Corner Cupboard executive director, who was there to meet the students and collect the food. As we stood in awe before the large piles of collected food, she said she was very proud of the school, the faculty and students, the families and the community who helped make the food drive such a success. And I could not have agreed with her more.
We are happy when we are able to share these types of stories with our readers, and it makes us feel good knowing that there are everyday folks who deserve to have their inspirational stories told, every week of the year. We here at the Messenger are passionate about our commitment to shining spotlights on the “good news” on a regular basis, and we are proud to say that we will continue that tradition in 2013 and beyond.
We will still strive to bring you ALL of the news – even “bad news” – that impacts Greene County, and we’ll never shy away from that important responsibility. We just believe that we can give our readers an even more comprehensive and well-balanced paper, one that is uncompromising in covering hard news while offering heartfelt stories of hope.
However, we are not mind readers, and we simply cannot know of all the good deeds that folks are doing. So we are asking you to help us out. If you are aware of anyone who has a “feel-good” story that deserves a spotlight, please LET THE MESSENGER KNOW. Give us a call at 724-852-2251, send me an email at steve@greenecountymessenger.com, or stop by our office, which is located at 95 East High Street in downtown Waynesburg. We are thankful for the support…