Christmas Craziness

Coming in to this week, I knew that it would be have its fair share of seasonal madness, but I think what I forgot was that all of this stuff is pretty darn fun! For instance, Monday, I went to a Presbyterian Bible study and had a little talk that I prepared for it about what social justice is why it is a good thing (in my opinion) and what we/they as a church can do to help further it. I was so worried about finishing my talk and I think I kind of psyched myself out a little, but at some point on the drive over, between admiring the mountains, fighting with the elderly Crossroads truck to stop drifting in the lanes and belting out Christmas tunes, I forgot about the nerves. So once I showed up to the church, they fed me and we talked and we just had the best time! They also were interested in what I had to say and we had good discussion about it so we did do more than eat cookies and giggle at the pastors’ kids’ antics and eat cookies left over from their cookie swap (although there was plenty of that)!

Yesterday during work, I was terribly antsy and infected with holiday cheer, which really just made me gaze out the window at the snow going “Ooooooo look at all that snow going by” and getting hypnotized. I am sure I did something productive, but I cannot remember exactly what. That evening, we had our Anti-Hunger Action Committee (AHAC) Holiday Potluck where we ate yummy food (these folks take fighting hunger seriously!), sang Christmas carols (with various levels of success) and made this video:

It is a montage of various AHAC members saying facts about the Utah Food Stamp program and how they have not used stamps in years, so isn’t it time to change the name? I, with my directing prowess, encouraged them to use their best game show host voices, which got a good chuckle out of most of them. Hopefully, the video gets a good chuckle out of most of you!

Today was another listen to Christmas tunes, giggle with coworkers, semi-productive day. Although I did have fun calling folks to remind them about one of our meetings tomorrow. Especially the lady named Marjorie because I get to say “Hello Marjorie? Yes, this is Marjorie!” and we both giggle like little schoolgirls. Also, it was the new social work student worker’s first day, so I am no longer the new kid! It’s also a plus to have another person to work with. Not to mention fun. And my coworker and I did some more planning of our Las Posadas procession. We have the donkey, the songs, the hot cocoa, the snacks, the candles, and Mary and Joseph lined up! Not to mention, the educational literature explaining why No Child of God is Illegal to discourage people calling other people Illegal. All in all, a fun day.

So I suppose, besides having a brief recount of what I have been up to, I am writing this to say that Christmas stuff can be rather enjoyable. Sure, the traffic may be bad and sure, you may have just worked for 8 hours, and sure, some of the folks might get on your nerves, but in the end, all of that nonsense doesn’t really matter. It’s that moment when you’re laughing at the rubber duck wearing sunglasses sitting on the phone or when you remember the words to the second verse of Joy to the World just in time to really belt them out so that everyone else can remember and sing along, too, or when your coworker’s kid comes up to you and says “Tag! You’re it!” and you spend a giggly few minutes racing around the downstairs after each other that are the moments that do matter. So go out and have fun this Christmas season! Have the really yummy food, even if it’s bad for you, drink peppermint flavored everything, suck on a peppermint until it’s really pointy and stab your neighbor with it, go to a Christmas concert, hum along to the Christmas songs playing at the grocery store (hey, if you can’t beat them, join them!), watch the Christmas classics (Christmas Vacation, anyone?), go to the midnight service on Christmas Eve, even if it is bad weather, but dadgum, just have fun! I hope everyone has an appropriately meaningful and solemn Christmas, but also an enjoyable one.