Whew! So that was the longest night of the year. I am not at all unfamiliar with its is like to be stuck in a night that does not seem to want to end. Sometimes the darkness is a habit of thinking that is hard to break.
This far in to the holiday season there are always a few folks who want to be in the spirit of things but just haven’t got there yet.
Well the night is over. The sun returns and I think surprise is an important part of a complete breakfast. So here are a couple ideas to get the ball rolling.
1) Shock yourself: Some gifts you open, some gifts open you… Go shopping for a tattoo. You don’t actually have to get one. But just the idea that you can imagine something out-of-character, means you are a character. Play an accordion! Bake without a recipe. Eat sushi. Find a petting zoo?! Being a little bit different means other kinds of different is possible Something is possible. And you are not done being made yet.
2) Surprise thy neighbor as you surprise thyself. I’ve been thinking about painting a big Merry Christmas sign and staking it in the front lawn of my friend’s house. Buy a pie and hand it to the person in line behind you. Would it be bad to TP someone’s house and leave a note in the mailbox that just says snow?
3) Do something oddly familiar …emphasis on odd. Doing something childish can bring back a little bit of what it feels like to be a child. I am thinking I might build a fort in the living room and sleep in it ton Christmas eve. Write a letter to Santa Claus and mail it. It might still have time to get there. Also there are some Christmas coloring books at the $.99 store I have been eyeing
4) Drop something in the ocean. Now this one seems a little overplayed in Christmas movies, but a random act of kindness can be good for one’s own soul. Pack a lunch for someone homeless. Include socks. New socks for homeless people at Christmas are awesome. Don’t forget a bow, a card, and a candy cane. Or if you live near it, you could literally go drop something in the ocean. That sounds fun.
Now if anyone is daring enough to do all of these I’ll have to come up with some kind of prize… not expensive, but a prize. Maybe one of my colorings! And if anyone does any of these, or makes up a new one, I’ll expect pictures. Consider it either a scavenger hunt or a dare.
