Prompt: "A song involving silence"
Selected by Pat
"Silent Night"
Choir of St. John's College
Carols from St. John's, 2003
Years ago, I read an article about Christmas that subtly changed my life.
To sum it up, humans have always held big celebrations at the start of the winter, like Christmas, because historically there was no guarantee everyone would live through the winter. It's dark, but I like this outlook. Instead of getting bogged down in debates about the role of religion or the growth of commercialism, I can appreciate Christmas as an opportunity to see the people I love, maybe even for the last time. It's a human tradition.
To sum it up, humans have always held big celebrations at the start of the winter, like Christmas, because historically there was no guarantee everyone would live through the winter. It's dark, but I like this outlook. Instead of getting bogged down in debates about the role of religion or the growth of commercialism, I can appreciate Christmas as an opportunity to see the people I love, maybe even for the last time. It's a human tradition.
It sucks to say it, but we actually might need a Christmas in July, too. It's been a brutal summer. Heat waves are making the Southwest uninhabitable. Smoke from Canada made it impossible for my kids to go outside. Flash floods in nearby Bucks County killed at least five people this month. It seems modern summer is becoming every bit as dangerous as ancient winter.
I might just be getting older, but lately I seem to have a much stronger sense of my and everyone else's mortality. So I wouldn't mind having a big party every summer, too. I don't actually think I'm going to die any time soon, but if I must, it might as well be after seeing everyone I care about at a big summer blowout.
No comments:
Post a Comment