One Christmas tree was standing alone...

The square in the town I live in is a large intersection where two streets intersect, and it's a somewhat large area. Every year, for time immemorial, at Christmas, the town got a large donated Christmas tree, placed it in the center of the square, routed traffic around it in a circle pattern, and then took it down in January.

Finally, the state has agreed to help fund a reworking of the lights through town, get them synchronized and all so you don't have to stop at all 9 of them going from one end to the other. However, as part of the condition of this help, the town has to rework the square to make it more efficient. SO the plan was to change the square in such a way that there would not longer be a way ot put the tree in the center of it.

The town I live in also the definiation of traditional and parochial. When the announcement was made that they would have to change the square, you'd think they'd just asked to take all the children away. Groups sprung up to stop it Save Our Square held rallies down in the square itself protesting. Threats were made against council members who had voted to approve the change. I mean, it was crazy.

At any rate, everything is approved, and work will start next year on changing it. And every year they a "celebration" of the lighting of the Christmas tree in the square. I have never gone to one of these as I think it would be only slightly less boring than watching a bottle of soda go flat. And I didn't really want to go this year, but I thought, since I'll never have a chance to do it again, I might as well go once. Just to say I went.

The "celebration" was from 6-8 in the evening. I had to work overtime, and didn't leave work until 630. I stopped to get a few groceries on the way. So when i got home, it was 730 already. I made my way walking to the square, and I got there about 740. There weren't a whole lot of people, but I guess it was a respectful turnout. Plenty of kids there. There was a both with Toys For Tots, one selling funnel cakes, one selling popcorn, the high school jazz band was there (and the less said about them, the better...other than to say two of them were pretty hot), and not much else.

About 750, one of the local DJ's found a mic, and said they were ready to start the countdown. We did a backwards one from ten and when we hit 1, the tree lite up. And what a pathetic display that is. There are parallel strands of light running from the top to the bottom, all white, and they're just kinda...there. The decorations were rather lackluster. ANd then, after like a 15 second pause while we...cheered, the DJ said, "Okay, well folks, thanks for coming out!"

And that was it. I mean I don't what I expected. not balloons, or confetti or something, but certainly a bit more than that. And yet, this IS the same town i've known all my life, so I relaly shouldn't have expected much.

POLT = listening to "The Final Shakedown" by Groove Armada

Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere. - John Steinman