"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together."
--Garrison Keillor
Respond to this quote:
I wonder how many of my students know who Garrison Keillor is. Listening to A prairie Home companion over the radio on Saturday nights is (old-womanish, I'm sure) one of my "favorite things I never get to do." I dream of one day listening to it in a big rocking chair, knitting, and laughing at Garrison Keillor's dry Minnesota humor.
I am now 85 years old.
My brother Brandon says I have lots of what he calls "geriatric tendencies."
That's all to say I'm familiar with Garrison Keillor. And I like him.
So when I see a quote like this, I can read the sarcasm (easy for me to do, as its a familiar language) and the tongue-in-cheek truth. At Christmas we are listers and complainers, even our good works have a check box beside them. Goodwill is compulsory, so like Valentines Day becomes a forced sort of love. Even in the general "tidings" we forget this miraculous, insane, gorgeous, plain, dirty truth of Advent season--we are preparing to usher a new Creation into our world, a tiny, squalling, writhing baby boy--our King--into our world again.
A new thing. A dangerous wonder.
Christmas should be simple again. Like radio listening by the fire.