Even Charlie Brown Questioned Christmas

Charlie Brown Christmas (Photo credit: Keegan Jones)

“I just don’t understand Christmas. Instead of feeling happy, I feel sort of let down.” ~ Charlie Brown from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, 1965

Maybe because it is December 13^th I am not feeling my usual holly jolly self. Other bloggers are letting their inner Scrooges and Grinches out, so maybe this is my day to let the merriment go on without me. Even Charlie Brown questioned Christmas—we are expected to be happy, but sometimes we are not.

I understand why this is the most merry time of the year, but I also understand that it is not all that merry to some people. I have been one of those people on occasion—two years in a row I lost a parent in December—my mom first and a year later, my dad. That does not make for a holly jolly time. That was over twenty years ago now—and I still feel the pangs – I miss them especially at this time of year because we had some wonderful family Christmases that were not quite the same after they exited this planet Earth.

I have of course come up with some of my own traditions and I will never lose the spirit of Christmas, but some days take their toll, and no matter the season, you have to deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The ugly has reared its majestic head this week, and I am busy eradicating it, but it does not go away just because it is the holidays. Just as Charlie Brown had to find the meaning of Christmas, I too must go in search of it today.

There is so much I love about Christmas. But I know that this time of year can be stressful. Even trying to be merry can put a bit of strain on us when reality keeps butting its head in. We have to deal with life even if this is a magical time of year—and in the end, I know that the merriment will win out.

Hope (Photo credit: bitzcelt)

~ Grave Concerns ~

Coat of arms of the town of Kingsville, Ontario. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know that many of you have never been to a municipal council meeting in your lives. Well, truly you have not lived until you have attended one. As I am a “municipal reporter” (sounds so official doesn’t it?) I have attended hundreds of these meetings over the years. They tend to run 3 1/2 to 4 hours now, as they have been cut from three meetings a month to two in my town of Kingsville.

Admittedly, a lot of the things I report on are rather mundane, but not particularly mundane to those affected by the story–be it about drains, sewers, a new subdivision, business development, or neighbours really mad at other neighbours for building a fence that blocks their view of the lake.

This being Halloween week got the best of me and I just could not stop myself from trying to zip up a news story about weeds in the local cemetery–and it was published on the front page of the Kingsville Reporter! Without further ado, here is me having a little fun with the story:

Weeds (TV series) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)NO, NOT THIS KIND OF WEED!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Council Wants Weeds Controlled at Greenhill

Weed control at Greenhill Cemetery is a topic of grave concern to Kingsville Council and a report presented by the Manager of Public Works…at the October 22^nd meeting did not provide them with a satisfactory solution.”

Now if you did not catch it–I said that the topic at the cemetery was of “grave concern”. Truly, I am easily amused.

Have you ever written something you knew was silly in an otherwise sombre story?