Friday, November 30, 2012

Guest Post on Doom and Gloom

Maria, the Silver Fox, is – as used to be said in the old days of television – experiencing technical difficulties!  Therefore, her post on this week’s LBC topic:

Doom and Gloom – Be Gone

The subject for this week’s loose bloggers consortium is Doom and Gloom.   Since I have complained to everyone who would listen, that I was simply could not get into a holiday mood, Thanksgiving was preceded by my mood of doom and gloom.  Then Thanksgiving arrived and I found the day peaceful and exciting, and frankly, fun-filled.  Somewhere, sometime long ago in some anthropology or sociology course, I was told that every country has a winter celebration that makes the long nights easier and less depressing.  Well, this is hardly true for my friends down under, but I hope they are enjoying their sunshine and warmth while we back here in the Northern Hemisphere are gearing up for holidays that repress the doom and the gloom  

Perhaps in growing really older, I have found my pattern for  winter doom and gloom.   I am beginning to think of it as sledding.  I drag my heavy sled of doom and gloom up the hill the weeks before Thanksgiving.  I grumble and complain and whine.  Thanksgiving then is like a plateau.  It is that moment at the top of the hill when one looks around at all the beauty and says, “Wow”.  From there it is an exciting down-hill ride, with that sled accelerating ever faster.  The wind in my face, the runners on the sled imprinting both straight and parallel designs on the snow-white mountain make the very idea of doom and gloom vanish. 

Okay, between Turkey Day and Christmas, there are always those little bumps, my sled is likely to tip slightly to the right, slightly to the left, and occasionally needs a push to start again.  For me, Christmas is the safe arrival at the base of the mountain.  It is  finding a chalet with colorful lights, caroling music, and the best hot chocolate ever.   It is the welcoming home time for family and the time to share good times with friends.  For some folks the festivities go on to welcome in the New Year, but I’m one for hanging the sled back up in the darkness of the garage storage area long before New Years Eve secure in my knowledge that the days will grow longer, the snow on the  mountain will melt, and the love of family and friends would see me through the the rest of the cold and dark months.

Thinking back to my teaching days, I remember my winter holiday whining started with the first faculty meeting where we set a school calendar date for the Holiday Program each year.  I sounded like a cross between Scrooge and the Grinch.  The idea of another year, another program, oh doom and gloom!   Then returning from Thanksgiving break, I would find myself at that mountain top ready to  take the plunge down the slope only this time with thirty some little elves,  marching toy soldiers, or snowmen tagging along for the ride.  From then until the day of the program, I was making costumes and scenery, running rehearsals, and playing director.  In my mind, I rivaled Alfred Hitchcock. The slide down the hill to performance time was exhilarating.  The pride and joy of watching my students perform, heart warming.  On reaching home, I basked in the glory of their success and spent hours typing a sentimental letter of thanks to my students for their outstanding work and their thespian ability.  I also made a promise to my self  to hold onto the magic and remember not to whine next September.

If you are feeling the pangs of winter’s doom and gloom, I pray they will not last long and that your own slide down the hill to the winter holidays will be smooth and easy.  Packages to wrap, house to decorate, meals to plan.  I am off to Wal-Mart to maneuver my sled  through the crowd, to the cashier, and out the door.  A! little bump maybe on my ride, but  OUT OF THE WAY Mr. Doom and Mr. Gloom.  my sled is leaving the hill-top and gaining speed.  Happy Holidays Everyone.   

Curious about what others have written about doom and gloom.  I know I am.  Loose Bloggers Consortium posts can be found on the right hand side of my blog under Writers Consortium.  This should make for some very interesting reading.

13 comments:

  1. I love this perspective, Maria! Happy Sledding!

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  2. Enjoy the sleigh ride, Maria. I am glad you found a temporary home to share this post.

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    1. I know I am glad to find a temporary home. Glad the Old Fossil welcomed me to his site.

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  3. Wax th erunners! Add Capt Morgan to the hot chocolate. Then sit back and enjoy. The holidays certainly do have that d&g pendulum swinging wildly. I too like your perspective.

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    1. Don't know the Captain, but I am not certain he would behave in my hot chocolate. I am much too old for a rush of passion. Guess these old runners do need some waxing. LOL

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  4. I sometimes find the sleigh ride down the slope grinds to a slushy drizzly very cold halt bewtween the new year and the middle of march. Too cold and wet. Perhap i need to spend part of the year somewhere warmer.

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    1. When I was writing my post I thought about the same thing. Winter can just seem so damn long. Maybe you need some of that Captain Morgan that Shackman commented on in your hot chocolate.

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  5. Ahh..I like that sled analogy! I do think that it is a difficult balancing act to keep the sled going the right way, but really, we should enjoy our lives!

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    1. I think as I grow older, I become much more aware of enjoying life and the importance of that beautiful word "centered".

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  6. Thanks Fossie (Delirious' name for you) I really appreciate being your guest. My blog is more or less up and through some band-aids, I am now able to post. Still work needs to be done, so I may be up and down for awhile.

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    1. @Maria

      That is particularly ironic considering the content of your post! I am glad that you are getting it worked out, because I've been there and it is really aggravating!

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  7. `"…a chalet with colorful lights,caroling music, and the best hot chocolate ever." That does it for me.
    Blessings ~ Maxi

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  8. I was able to access Maria's post and left this comment - “A little bump maybe on my ride, but OUT OF THE WAY Mr. Doom and Mr. Gloom. my sled is leaving the hill-top and gaining speed.”

    I hope that the little bump does not come in the way of your favourite way of communicating – the butt charade.

    You have fun too!

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