"'TIS THE SEASON..."

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."  (John 13:17)

Over thirty years ago, I attended a Bible Study at the home of a couple named Ed and Allison Bryan.  I have not seen either of them in about twenty years, but I do remember that Ed had kind of a sarcastic and poignant sense of humor.  One year at Christmas time a person accidentally smashed into his car at a supermarket parking lot.  Did it phase Ed?  No!  He literally turned to the person with a sarcastic and poignant smile and announced, "Oh, well, 'tis the season to be jolly!"

Not everyone handles driving situations in December as well as Ed Bryan did!  Yesterday, a particularly cold day in Boston's MetroWest suburbs, I noticed that whatever minimal driving etiquette usually exists had vanished!  (This also happens in the summer when it's really hot and humid.)  For some reason, when temperatures are at an extreme, people want to take it out on everybody on the road.

In the middle of Friday afternoon, I had to do an errand at Framingham's downtown post office.  I walked the half mile or so from the church to the post office.  The "wind chill factor" had to be about 6 degrees! It was cold!  At one intersection, the light turned to green as I was in the middle of the crosswalk.  A woman driver of at least 50 (and I'd say 60) who was sitting and waiting to proceed ahead absolutely went ballistic!  She began waving her arms and yelling, "It's GREEN!  The light is GREEN!"  She gave me a look of absolute HATE.  It was scary!  As soon as I passed her car, I turned and (hate to admit it) yelled to her, "Calm down, CALM DOWN!"  I guess I didn't sound very calm then, but it honestly makes me angry when people get so exorcised over something so ... stupid!

Early Friday morning as I was picking up a couple of items at Stop & Shop, the background music playing was Phil Collins singing, "Think Twice", you know, that song about a homeless woman who is rejected and ignored.  I think we all need to think twice!  I dread mall parking lots at this time of the year.  There are the VULTURES...those who circle and circle just WAITING to nab a parking space.  And you know how that goes... the parking lot situations can practically lead to fistfights.

I mentioned earlier that in some respects I'm not crazy about the Christmas holiday, and I'm not.  I just kind of try to get through this season.  I DO try to be sensitive to, well, bring a little  "Christmas cheer" to people...and I don't mean alcohol- I mean happiness.  It gets challenging on days like yesterday.

Everybody is in SUCH a hurry. Everybody takes everything SO personally.  People are SO on edge.  I remember that Three Dog Night once sang, "And if I was the king of the world, I'll tell you what I'd do, I'd throw away the guns and the bombs and the wars and I'd make sweet love to you."  Well, if I could have MY fantasy with Planet Earth, or even Massachusetts for even one day, I'd have everybody driving a LOT slower, being a LOT more courteous, AND ... there'd be no swearing or "attitudes" allowed...

After all, 'tis the season to be jolly!