At our house, it is eternally Christmas. Not because of our never-ending joy, our desire for peace on earth 24/7, nor because of a spirit of giving. It is Christmas forever at our house because I never took the lights off the roof.
This is a horrible revelation, I know. I've just become one of "those" people to you, haven't I? But I'll be honest, up until last year, I was very diligent about the lights. They would come off as soon as good weather allows. But something happened last year. Maybe I was just lazy, though I'd like to think it was because I was overwhelmingly busy. And then we had snow, and ice, then rain, and then a few nice and sunny days which I just didn't feel like spending up on a ladder, and so I didn't. Next thing I knew, it was June. Lights still on the house. By this time, I didn't even notice them any more. And, well, it was already halfway through the year, so why bother taking them off now?
There was an up side to this, however, because this past holiday season, I never got around to putting lights on the bushes (which my son reminded me of on a daily basis)...and had the lights not been left on the whole year through, we probably would have had no holiday cheer proclaimed from the rooftops whatsoever. So, you see, it really was a good thing.
And just why am I telling you this now, as we approach the end of January? Well, I'm sorry/proud/embarrassed to say that the lights remain firmly attached to the shingles, and I'm considering going another whole year. Does that make me a bad person? Does that make me trailer trash? What does it make me?
The rest of the decorations have been down for weeks. But, honestly, I just don't feel like taking down the lights. So I'm not going to, and there's nothing you can do to make me.
But I would like to know if I'm alone in my resolve. Or, in the very least, am I alone in thinking it isn't a bad reflection of us? I could cheat. I could say that I'm leaving the lights on the house because we also decorate for Valentine's Day (which they do, in fact, sell lights for), St. Patrick's Day (and I am, in fact, part Irish), uh, April Fool's Day (and believe me, am I a fool at times), and well, you get the idea. But I'm not going to say that. I'm not going to lie.
But I do want someone, somewhere, to tell me its okay. I deserve to be a bit rebellious, stirring up trouble in my neighborhood. I know, I know, I'm a wild man. But, what can I say? It's eternally Christmas. Right? I said...right?
Oh, yes. By the way. In case you were wondering, my fingertips are back. Numbness gone.
