Don't Take Me Seriously - Book - Page 79
ESCAPE Weekly
Dec. 11 - Dec. 17, 2009 – 15
It IS a wonderful life
Allow no more negative-speak this holiday season
M
y favorite Christmas movie is
circumstances, in spite of the economy
“Christmas Vacation” because, and in spite of myself.
well, it’s so freaking funny. I
To quote a sappy lyric from another
know it has a message in it somewhere,
Christmas movie: “When I’m worried
too. Maybe it’s something about family
and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings
sticking together even though they hate
instead of sheep, and I fall asleep
each other — or something about good
counting my blessings.”
things happening in the end, if you screw
Of course, my blessings still look
up long enough and hard enough.
like sheep as I count them behind my
And the latter thought gives me hope.
eyelids, but that’s a personal problem.
I like my close-second-favorite
I theorize it’s brought on by too many
Christmas movie for far
applications of lanolin in
deeper reasons. “It’s a
my childhood. Go figure.
So how does one keep
Wonderful Life” offers hope
positive when swimming in
that every little good thing
an ocean of negativity?
we do can have a major
Well, for one thing, you
positive effect in the long
can get out and see the
run — an effect that we
Christmas lights.
may never even be aware of.
That’s right. Call this a
Further, this movie offers
Jim Walker
self-sell, but this very issue of
hope that, even though
Don’t Take Me Seriously Escape contains the results
we may feel our lives are
of The Signal’s 16th annual
pointless or failures, maybe,
Holiday Light Tour. You get the scoop on
just maybe, they aren’t. Maybe our small,
dull, black and white lives enable others to the best-dressed homes and streets in the
SCV — and if you get out among ’em, like
lead better lives. Jimmy Stewart realized
we did, you can’t help but catch a case of
that in the end.
the positives.
Maybe we will, someday, too.
There are scores of terrific people out
The point is, you’ve got to keep the
there who are probably suffering through
faith — no, seriously.
the same things you are. And what do they
Now, my friends and family will
do about it? They work their candy canes
laugh to read me telling you this
off putting on displays for your enjoyment.
because, well, it just ain’t like me. But
These displays range from the quiet and
I come from the school of “Do as I say,
homey to extravaganza block parties, and
not as I do,” so here goes.
some of them are going further, offering
In this era of financial woe, many of
thousand-watt messages of hope and/or
us have taken some hard hits. And what’s
worse is that everyone is parroting the bad collecting donations for local charities. So,
do everyone a favor and get out there. You
news. There is a collective discontent that
is feeding on itself and growing. Why, just may see the light(s) at the end of the tunnel.
If you just want to get a laugh, check
this evening, a friend of mine asked how
things were going and I told him “terrible.” out “M*A*S*H” at the REP. If you want
a seasonal smile, try “Miracle on 34th
Terrible? Really?
Street” at the Canyon Theatre Guild.
Well, no. Things are not terrible.
And, if only for the Christmas season,
Yes, I’ve taken some heavy blows on
several fronts recently, and, yes, there
let’s all make an effort to speak the upside.
I’ll try if you will. When someone asks you
may be more coming. But the truth is,
I really have it pretty good — in spite of
See WALKER page 22
Courtesy Photo
In this scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Jimmy Stewart is being consoled — prior to getting punched.
