I want what I want. Prestigious jobs, fancy cars, wicked phones, nice houses, you name it, I have wanted it. I have been willing, at times, to do things to get what I wanted that, in retrospect, do not make me proud. It’s worth noting that often when I get what I want, it turns out not to be so good for me. Sometimes the only thing worse than not getting my way is getting my way.
So once I’m headed down one stream, it’s hard to convince me to portage to the next. Any indication that there are rocks ahead will be met with a response varying from, “I don’t see any rocks,” to “This is going to be just fine, damn it.” When it comes to the holidays, my resolve is doubled. Especially since you can see the boulders looming from Halloween.
Past years have found me on the shore — or in the woods — as my Sweet Lady and Tallulah go pitching over the falls. (The falls include, of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas not to mention Tallulah’s and Palindrome’s birthdays, countless church services, several parties, and consistent reminders that we have chosen to live far from most family.) Yours truly could often be heard whistling “I love to go a-wandering” in order to drown out the screams. I was off in search of a “great Christmas.”
As the current picked up this year, I heard the call of the woods again. I thought, “Heck, this is not something to get worked up about. The holidays happen every year.” And while it is true that they happen every year, they are something to get worked up over every year too. It’s just overwhelming. As I saw my Sweet Lady’s eyes get wider as the sound of the fall approached, I decided to stay in the boat and go over the falls myself. I can’t stop it from happening, but maybe we can all sing on the way down. It’s been good so far.