I love Christmas. It hasn't always been so.

Years ago, as an adult, I bought into the spirit of humbug. That Scrooge thing really appealed to me. I don't really understand why. Just a phase I guess. Unlike Scrooge, my transition wasn't completed in a single night. Nor was it finished in a single Christmas season. My appreciation for Christmas has been evolving for the past decade or so. One little thing at a time.

So I find myself in late 2003 with a serious addiction to Holiday music. Years ago I purchased, on vinyl, the Carpenter's Christmas Portrait. It has since been acquired in its CD form, along three years ago with its expanded version. It is my favorite. A fact that makes me laugh and brings no small amount of embarrassment to my children. Even better.

I've expanded my music collection in each of the past two seasons. And I've begun to listen to my holiday music earlier each year. Just a few years ago I began my holiday music experience on the first of December, ending on Christmas day. The start date was then moved forward to Thanksgiving day with a conclusion on New Year's Day. This year I pushed the start all the way to November 1st. My iPod made this very easy.

I was in Boston. With the help of a cassette adapter I was able to fill my rental car with holiday cheer. It didn't feel much like Christmas in Boston on the first day of November. Perhaps because the temperature at mid day was well above 70 degrees.

Anyway, having the spirit of Christmas is more than the music and much more than the time of year. It is in one's actions. Yesterday my holiday cheer was tried. On the way home from shooting my bow I decided to stop by and wash my brine encrusted truck. It was in serious need of a bath. My son Bob was with me and as we arrived at the car wash only one other vehicle was in line. Sweet. Sometimes Saturday afternoons in winter can be crowded at the local wash.

Bob didn't see it my way. He commented, "Great, a line." in that special way a teenager has of letting you know that he is being inconvenienced. My reply, "this shouldn't take too long." We sat and waited and talked. A few minutes passed. Nothing was happening. The Jeep in front of us wasn't moving. I began to pay attention.

An arm came out of the Jeep. A hand dropped what must have been two quarters into the coin slot. The hand disappeared. Moments later the hand was back. This time with a bill. The hand fumbled with the bill at the slot. The bill crumpled, not cooperating. The hand tried to adjust the bill. Nothing happened. The hand disappeared, moments later emerging again with what must have been a different bill. I started to get perturbed.

In fact, in the past I might have stomped out of my truck and given this inept person a piece of my mind. Why was this person being so lame. Not today. Today I took one of my wash tokens, the one my wife gave me last Christmas when they were being sold 10 for $20. I opened my door and approached the Jeep.

Sitting in the front seat was a young woman. Our eyes met and I could tell she was frustrated. She looked at me with that complicated mixture of "what do you want?" and "can't you see that I'm having trouble here?" and maybe even a little bit of "don't bug me". I smiled, trying to not let my annoyance show on my face or in my voice.

"Having problems?" I asked.

"It won't take my money." she said.

Without hesitating I slipped my token into the slot and said, "there you go, this one's on me."

The woman in the Jeep waived the bill at me. "Here, take this money." she offered.

"No, thanks. Merry Christmas." and I was a few steps from sitting back in my truck.

As I sat down and pulled the door closed behind me I smiled to myself. I felt good. Then I shuttered. I cringed thinking of times past when I hadn't been as kind. When I probably did get out of my truck and yell at someone who was struggling and was likely as frustrated as I. Bob asked me what happened. I told him it was our christmas gift.

This was a learning experience for me. I felt good. Bob felt good. And the woman we helped? I don't know how she felt. Maybe it put her in a better mood. Perhaps she did something nice for someone else. It just may be a small thing that brightens her holiday. The thing is, I'll never know, and I don't want to know. I somehow hope that it made her day better, in turn making some other person's day better and so on. Think of it as my little "pay it forward".

So, Christmas time is here. I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest. The best part isn't in getting or giving gifts. The best part is seeing a better side of yourself emerge, even for a brief moment. And the second best thing is turkey gravy...........
4:11:34 PM    comment []