Sixteen tons and whaddaya get...

Christmas time is the ultimate in elation, sometimes wrapped, at least partially, with a blanket of depression.

At least I have found that to be true.  I wish 'funny ha ha' was punching these keys this morning, but I just ain't feeling it in this specific moment.

When Tennessee Ernie Ford sat down with the powers to be prior to recording this song.. they asked him "what kinda beat would you like with it?"..  Ernie then started snapping his fingers to the desired beat. They got it, and they added "No, leave that (the finger snapping) in.  Did.

The song is mostly sad, the grueling life of a coal miner..  The control of (some) companies back in the day.. The workers were paid in redemption cards where they could get ware, food, goods, yada, at the company store...ie, no way outta debt, no way to save money. "St Peter don't you call because I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store." Thankfully, much has changed since the 1940's for workers and their rights.

Snap.  Finger snap. And again. Melodic. Catchy.  

Ginger snap. (That's me, and any fellow redhead, snapping our fingers.)

Cold snap. We are two days away from the first day of Winter.  Wouldn't it be lovely to snap one's fingers and get the heck outta Dodge to warmer clime?  I know, there are those who actually enjoy the cold.  Just my opine, be for real Elsa.... Stormy... Tiffany..  We're frozen here.  Let it be. Let it be, for you, not us.

Snap out of it. To stop experiencing something unpleasant or, stop behaving in a negative way. We are, oft times, our own worst enemy.  TMI for sure, but this has, sadly, been my worst year as a grandfather. I will certainly take a good chunk of the blame, coupled with absence, rearranged families, geography and maybe a pinch of spite thrown in. Life teaches you can't snap your fingers and get back to 'what was', but one can surely wake our damn selves up, ie, snap out of it (and I talk to me in there too).  Christmas accentuates that, change. I am lucky, we  are all still on the planet, we must snap to good, adaptation to today, and tomorrow.

Some, this year, aren't so lucky. You awaken one day, another doesn't. Snap, life is different, forever.  I feel for you if this is your first year of going through loss (or whatever # year it is, I'm sorry). Loss serves as an ugly reminder we simply need to be kind. Quiet often means woe. I promise I ain't preaching, but, doesn't, or shouldn't, that make us wanna hug, smile, ask "How are you doing" then listen, really listen? The ham, the potatoes, dessert, will still get passed, but those empty chairs do glare. Some, don't wanna be there, so, we, needta be there for them.

Snap someone's head off.  Of course not literally, but, with oration.  Sometimes it changes things forever. We've all probably been on both sides of the fence.  Try as we might, it's often difficult to snap one's fingers and fill the pothole of ugly. We can only hope the Holiday season will afford forgiveness, if possible, no matter which side of the fence we reside.  Life's too short. Too damn short for it all. Hurt may reside inside forever, but hugs, smiles, "I'm sorry, no excuse" can help mend. Why? I say, why not?

All that, then, add the trials tribulation of regular ole regular life to it..  affliction, addiction, slips, falls, hip, knee replacements, Covid, mental health issues, cancer... all, the more reason to hop (snap) to the below:

Snap. Each, every, Christmas reminder - let's snap to happy. Oh come oh ye faithful. The lights about town. That little one checking, wonderfully curious about, the package with their name on it under the tree. Turn the tree on. Bake some yummy smelling goodies.  Happy texts. Hugs, smiles, touches. The L word looms large too.

We cannot snap to once was, but, we can assuredly smile that the good has happened, and allow that to light the path to today, tomorrow.

And if... if this doesn't speak to you, hit home, maybe hard to relate to it, thank goodness for you, and keep on keepin' on.. 

Life is, like those things under the tree.  A gift. May we all remember, so are those on either side of us.

Merry Christmas... if we make it that, allow it to be that. Snap to the plan for it. Perfection and human just ain't congruent. We can though, snap to be the best we can.

Love, Victurd