By Frank “Smokin” Truatt
I trust you had a wonderful Christmas this year. I think we can all agree it came and went so quickly. It seems to get harder and harder each year to decide which gifts to give because we’ve become so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it. If something can’t arrive at our door within a day or two, we’ll simply buy it from somewhere else. Nevertheless, shoppers came out in droves and snatched up the most desirable gifts early in the month.
It makes you wonder what all those who received gift cards are going to find when they hit the stores or shop online. Maybe it’s better to wait a while for inventory to build up again so we can get exactly what we want—as long as it can be delivered in a day or two!
I feel sorry for all those in retail who are now busy dealing with a plethora of holiday returns—wrong sizes, wrong colors, or items that just didn’t work. And where did all that Christmas music go? What do Josh Groban, the Rockettes, Al Roker, and Pentatonix do for the next 11 months? Sure, I know they have regular jobs, but that extra Santa-season pay must come in pretty handy!
There’s no time to feel sad, though, because the future looks bright. We’ve just passed the winter solstice, and little by little, that precious daylight will return, allowing us to get home before the moon, stars, and those pesky drones come out. Yes, the future is just a week away!
2024 was a strange year, so maybe it’s good that it went by so fast. I was reminded that the new year was just around the corner earlier this week when I received a free community events calendar from my town. It was complete with coupons from local businesses and reminders of recycling pickup days. See? The future does look bright!
The sad part is that I don’t have much to fill in on the calendar except for a few NASCAR race dates, a summer trip to the shore, and my birthday. Actually, scratch the birthday—they’re not that much fun anymore, and who wants to be reminded they’re another year older anyway?
So, let’s have a toast! Raise your glass with me, put on Barry Manilow’s “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve,” and hope for the best year ever—or at least one a bit better than last year!
