In several streets locals have paraded their infatuation with large electric bills by hanging millions of coloured lights over the front of their houses. Some people think this sweet, puritanical types,e.g. me, think what a waste of time and money. While decorations and twinkling lights do brighten the dingiest of streets none of the streets involved are in need of such brightening. If I dare to ask what plastic snowmen or even more plastic trees have to do with Christmas I get funny looks and/or blank stares. Worse still are those desperate to be the first to erect hundreds of such idol worshipping lights and also the ones with the greatest electric bills. These happen to be the usual 'Daily Express' reading little englanders who sped their time worrying about immigrants living off the country.
Wandering around the other night I passed this lamppost with the towns lights twinkling upon it, to me it looked somewhat cheap and nasty, which it is as there is little money to spend in the towns Christmas fund and cheap lights satisfy or you do without.
As you can see I am full of the Christmas spirit! This is partly because I have just eaten a rotten cheap dinner and exhausted my weary bulk by looking out for one decent Christmas card for someone forgotten, spending £13 on cards and still not being sure if this one will do, it will have to now! At least I have several good cheap ones for next year.
The idea of imposing the nativity on the mid winter festival may have appeared clever at the time but there was no St Nicolas stories then and the commercial pap that surrounds us alongside all this Santa nonsense, snowmen and plastic trees does little to convey the real story. Arguing with people on forums reveals how little people, even those in their 40's, understand of the Christmas story. The populace is not only unchurched it is ignorant of what churches do, except maybe marry or bury people. This makes discussion difficult when you have to explain as you go along basic things people once took for granted. The mind set has changed and not for the better.
Living in a world of rain does not help the mood either.
Much better here than in the west of course, but farmers and ducks are apparently happy with things as they are and would like it to continue well past the Brexit debacle. I would be pleased if my shoes hold out and water does not come through them again.
2 comments:
Inside is the best place to be in weather like this.
Jenny, Indeed. Better today.
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