Mike’s Corner: Holidays

By Mike Wagoner
Reader Contributor

You know how certain songs can get stuck in your head … maybe like … “Country Roads Take Me Home.” See … you just sang it to yourself a little right then, huh? Well, it’s cool. I mean, music helps to make this life not only more tolerable but fun, comforting and at times even inspirational. However, if you find yourself exposed to a tune spawned by the devil and you can’t get away or make it stop … it can be stressful, sorta like yellow jackets at a picnic, and the potential sting can stay with you for a while. For me, one of those types of songs is “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” I mean, I know where it’s goin’ and it takes forever to get there.

I like the holidays but it’s a time that also puts me on my guard. Last year I got trapped in a checkout line waiting to pay for some Christmas gifts when the department store muzak system suddenly began to rain down … you guessed it … “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me.” My eyes glazed over a little and it was either just drop the merchandise and walk briskly for the door or just stand there and take it… well, I took it, knowing full well that it might get lodged in my head like a burr in the side of a dog.

I know this sounds a little … anal and abnormal … there are plenty of other things to concern oneself with in this life and I’m happy to report it did go away … it only took about, like … 12 days or so.