I’m not a Christmas-y kind of person, so I seldom listen to the traditional holiday songs.
However, I do love Trans-Siberian Orchestra, especially their Christmas CD, Christmas Eve and Other Stories.
The first time I listened to the CD, I thought it was about a young husband and wife who had a fight, which resulted in her leaving. He prays that she be kept safe and free from harm, and that she will find her way home.
Sure, I thought – if you weren’t such a jerk, maybe she wouldn’t have left to begin with. You deserve to spend Christmas alone. Make your own f*g dinner. Ho Ho Ho.
But just about this time last year, I was driving home from work, playing the CD. In the middle of the man’s prayer, it suddenly occurred to me – maybe it’s a dad whose teenage daughter ran away from home. Oh no! What if one of my girls had left home right before Christmas because we argued (and God knows it could easily have happened) – how would I feel not knowing where she was and whether she was safe?
Since that day, every time I play that CD, it makes me cry. Twice. Once when the father is praying for his daughter’s safety, and again when he learns that she is on her way home.
Really, I should just stop listening to the darn thing. What would I say to the cop who pulls me over because I went through a red light that I couldn’t see through the tears? Unless he’s a dad himself, my explanation probably won’t win him over.
As I write this very short post, I thank heavens that all of my girls are grown and live within a couple of miles of me. We will all be getting together on Christmas Day.
My heart goes out to anyone whose loved ones are far away during this very special season. May your stories have as happy an ending as the one in Christmas Eve and Other Stories.
__________
I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com or notcordeliasmom@aol.com
__________
Images by: Trans-Siberian Orchestra via Amazon.com and Casey Kelley, respectively
Cordelia's Mom, Still 
Spam-Bam Thank You Ma’am (December 2014)
A very Merry Christmas to all you spammers out there. I thought about giving you a break this month, seeing as it’s the season of goodwill towards all – but what the hey, you’re apparently not into the spirit, either. Even so, I’ll try to be polite in my responses:
***
Comment (excerpt):
“my voice sucks on karaoke that is why i am taking sining lessons now from professionals”
Response:
I’m not sure what this comment has to do with Paul Curran’s guest post, Serendipity, but I’m sure we’ re both sorry you are unable to “sin.”
***
Comment:
“Some times its a discomfort within the ass to read what weblog owners wrote but this internet website is genuinely user genial !”
Response:
Far be it from me to be a discomfort within any body part. But I’m very happy that you consider me to be user genial. [Could’ve been much worse.]
***
Comment (excerpt):
“I am glad to be a visitant of this gross internet weblog …”
Response:
Are you by any chance related to the foregoing commenters? I am sorry that you find my blog (or at least Paul Curran’s guest post, Serendipity) to be gross.
***
Comment:
“I absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content for yourself? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write in relation to here. Again, awesome web log!”
[This comment was written on Paul Curran’s guest post, Red Stars at Night – congratulations, Paul, you have your very own spammers!]
Response:
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like poor taste to ask my guest poster, through my blog, whether you can guest write for him. Perhaps you should contact him directly.
***
Comment (excerpt):
“I’m not here to waste your time …”
Response:
The balance of this very lengthy comment was a solicitation for me to join your “team.” I love the part where you indicate, “No tricks, no scams, no stupid advertisements. We’re tired of those too. Seriously, I want people I can trust, people that work hard.” ‘Cause, I’m sure you, yourself, are so very trustworthy. I’ll pass, thank you.
***
Comment (excerpt):
“Greetings from Florida! I’m bored at work so I decided to check out your website on my iphone during lunch break …”
Response:
Colorado, Ohio, Carolina, and now Florida. Really get around, don’t you? Would you like the link to the last commenter? I hear he/she is looking for “people that work hard.”
***
Comment:
“WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for gold watches.”
Response:
I don’t know why I find this comment so amusing. I don’t even own a watch, gold or otherwise, nor have I ever written about watches. Although, I did write a post about what I would do when my ship finally came in – sorry to tell you, however, that gold watches were not on my must-have list. You might want to search elsewhere.
♦♦♦
A new year is coming. Will the spammers resolve to leave me alone? Will I resolve not to continue this Spam-Bam series? Join me next month to find out.
(As usual, apologies to the appropriate commenter if any of the foregoing weren’t, in fact, spam. I realize that some comments suffer in translation, and I try to take that into account when determining what is spam and what is legitimate.)
__________
I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com or notcordeliasmom@aol.com
__________
Images by: s_p_a_c_e_m_a_n, and seosmarty, and BazaarBizarreSF, respectively
Share this: