Bring It, Christmas

So here we are, on the eve of December, with fall in full swing. Leaves are falling, falling, and the ground becomes a canvas of oranges and reds and yellows. One of the few places that always demonstrates the changing of season in full grandeur is Sac State, a small forest of a campus. Which, now, is virtually abandoned. Again. We've been directed to forego our former plans of face to face education in the wake of the most recent surge of Covid-19. The worst surge yet, with numbers spiking far higher than they ever have. 

Sigh.

2020 has been such a train wreck. It started full of optimism and promise, as years so often do. The start of the 20s! Again! We barely made it half way through March and BAM! Our world, as we knew it, collapsed around us. Now it's clear that we are incapable of dealing with this pandemic. Our society just simply can't do it. Hopefully a vaccine will be just around the corner, as that's the only thing that will apparently stand a chance of getting up out of this mess.  And hopefully by then we won't have completely forgotten what "normal" was like.

And Christmas is just around the corner, and houses in the neighborhood are starting to sprout lights and statues and various baubles of the holiday season. Though, not that many. I went for a walk around the neighborhood this evening - and to be sure, there was some impressive displays of festivity - but it seems less than 10% of houses had decor. Well, it's still early, I suppose. I haven't put out anything myself, but I do still plan to erect my annual Disney-ornamented tree. So at least some things will be "normal" this season. 

And today, I did some Christmas shopping for my son, so that part of the holiday tradition is underway. I imagine this Christmas will be a challenge to many. I'm still not sure how it will be for me. I mean, in many ways I've been quite fortunate this year, despite the pandemic. I still get a paycheck at least, which means I can still pay rent, and other bills. Not everyone can say the same. This will be my first Christmas in many years spent in an apartment. Which brings its own challenges in getting inspired for the holidays. But it will hopefully be my last as well, which inspires hope. It's a superficial thing to be worried over, I know. But that doesn't make it less real.

And it occurred to me during my walk this night that in the last 25 years or so, I've lived at about 10 different places. That's an average of moving once every 2.5 years. And that's a lot, especially for someone who loathes change and moving in particular. Hard to build any sort of consistency of tradition, especially for the holidays, when your living arrangement varies so often. 

But it's okay, I will persevere. And next year, new traditions will begin. With any luck, pandemic free. And it will, with any luck, be the start of my longest tenure at any residence since the house I grew up in, back in North Highlands, over 40 years ago. And that one lasted all of what, 14 years or so?

But for now, it's nearly December, and we have to focus on this year's Christmas, laden with Covid restrictions and boarded up businesses and booming homeless populations.  And curfews and masks and social distancing.Oh my. I'm sure our society will survive, somehow, and be better in the end, someday. I mean we have to believe that, right? But for now, let's enjoy some well-deserved distraction. Bring on the Christmas season!