Let Joy Commence...

On Christmas morning it is the silence that is most noticeable.  The ebb and flow of daily traffic ceases, chattering passersby fail to appear, even the distant rumble from the bypass is missing. A passing car, heading for gran's or aunties, disturbs the peace.  A dog barks cheerily while chasing a ball thrown by a walker forced away from gifts and wrapping paper.  High above cruising at 35,000 feet an aircraft glints in the morning sun as it makes its way to the Americas.  No other sound is heard.  A wretched, badly dressed man urges his aged bicycle along the road.  A miserable looking creature, the man not the bike, creaking along, his bones not the bike, breaking the peace.  There are none to see me as I pass.  The torrents of rain that fell on Christmas Eve have moved on, the air is clear, aided by the absence of cars and planes, damp streets glisten, but the streets remain unusually silent.  Church doors were opening after ten, a car here and there arrived, many walked slowly, dressed for church.  Fewer than in times past but usually, if not always, aware of what the day means.  Behind the doors many have been awake for hours!  A mound of discarded paper litters many a floor, dad's struggle to fit batteries into machinery far to complicated for one their age, give it to the child and it will work in minutes!  Mum's fuss with their hair, the kids, the dinner and the booze she wants to open early, but not in that order.  Lonely people stare at mind sapping TV, made worse at Christmas by sentimental claptrap or blonde brainless bimbos excited by nothing at all.  

Four hundred miles to the north my family, well some of them, gather for their dinner.  Presents will open, dinner will be eaten, drink will be guzzled, by the men certainly, and much laughter will ensue.  I myself had prepared well in advance rather than leave things to the last minute. The main part of my Indian Christmas dinner was put in the freezer, the rest in the fridge.  Cake and puddings were placed in appropriate places and all was ready.  Naturally I forgot until the 25th to remove said dinner from freezer and had to make do and mend like I normally do!  Bah!  Still I am now stuffed full of nan and chicken something or other with lashes of rice, and cheesecake, which contains no cheese I note.  
The loss of the dinner was made worse when certain important internet connections failed. Even worse I had become once again hooked on the intellectually challenged game 'Bouncing Balls,' and the entire 'MindJolt' site was down!  No football occurred and TV was dire.  The last Christmas I spent with friends on the coast and pangs of desire for such company grew as each new disaster fell upon me.  However some golden moments appeared to brighten the day.  BBC 2's 'Music of the Monarchy,' with the outstandingly arrogant David Starkey is one!  Brilliant TV from the racist Englishman!  Super music and listening to him is so interesting but really you just want to slap him don't you?  However late that night I searched for Radio 4 Excelling itself with an hour of 'With Great Pleasure,' where John Lloyd, the man who has brought some of the great comedies to us, gives us an hour of his favourite stuff, huge fun and laughter I say!  This is a must listen!  

Life will return to normal tomorrow.  'Argos,' was shut on Christmas Day, something that was so unusual I stopped and stared as I passed.  How did such a commercial enterprise become named after a long gone Greek city anyway? One or two other opened today but not many.  The supermarkets did a 'Sunday service' for those starving after yesterdays feasting.  Tomorrow the streets return to near normality and households everywhere pile up the paper for recycling.  I will go back to soup and bread with leftover cake...... 

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