By Nellie Curtiss …
I turned on AMC and I heard songs like the Griswolds singing “Deck the Halls” in the station wagon before they were nearly run over by that semi-truck. The parents were hardly able to get their kiddos to sing along and thus play along with the family quality time. Later, CBS ran Frosty; and we resisted singsonging “Frosty the Snowman was a jolly happy soul,…” It rang of past holidays too much.
These moments have rubbed off – like hay rubbed off in your hair when you dove into a haystack or like purrs from friendly cats rubbing against legs. Thank goodness for that new Bounce dryer sheets that wards off pet hairs. Where my black pants had enough hair to make a hair ball before, the material now has more free space than hairy spaces. Songs of joy rub off on us, too, and lighten our metaphoric loads.
I watched Netflix’ 2018 Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell as Santa, again. And he pulled an Elvis on the local jail inmates with “Santa is back in town!” https://youtu.be/uA3fkrdm3f0 Like the cast, I wanted to get out of the easy chair and jump! Maybe even bounce like Winnie the Pooh’s friend Tigger does. Christmas Chronicles 2 from 2020 also showcased Kurt. At the airport, he and Darlene Love belt out The Spirit of Christmas (https://youtu.be/DUaJswBpqwg). The song addresses the negativity of travelers and families and begs for happier faces.
Today a Facebook post from Mark Ruffalo (https://www.facebook.com/) stated: “When the holidays are 10 days away and you haven’t started gift shopping, how are you feeling? Personally, the top right captures it all.” His collage of scrunched up selfies shows a squinty-eyed wimpy-faced closeup which models stress experienced in our commercialized holidays—rush, rush, rush and buy, buy, buy.
One of the 120 comments was: “So crazy to get caught in that loop! I’m opting for creating original artsy gifts.”
Another follower posted: “Nope! I’ve advised everyone I know that I’m opting out of obligatory gift giving and requested that they do the same with me. I’d rather spend time with them sharing a meal and some memories and laughs. I’ll remember that more than some random thing I don’t need. The gift of a loved one’s time is the best!”
Another laughed: “This needs to be on your holiday cards!”
Finally, one fan posted, “A cupcake holder works as a tree.” The posted picture showed bright, sparkly ornaments lopped strategically and creating a joyful tree that almost sings.
Locally, songs of joy are in a new Christmas album. The Sangre de Cristo Christmas which was released at Society Hall on December 1 (https://youtu.be/aQ8SmbxLRaY). Don Richmond and David Clemmer started us off with “Deck the Halls.” These hope-filled songs are joyfully acoustic southwest folk genre, as Don explained. (https://www.facebook.com/DonRichmondMusic and https://www.howlindogrecords.com/)
Whatever the rush of this season is for us, slowing down and listening to magical stories and songs in the room will carry us into a peaceful holiday far away from hustles but closer to hearty songs of joy. And as Don said, “Be good to one another out there. Spread the love.”
— Nelda Curtiss is a retired college educator and long-time local columnist. Reach her at http://www.columnsbynellie.com or email her at columnsbynellie@gmail.com
Columns by nellie 