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Christmas Time Is Here
I’ve long held the opinion that hearing John Mellencamp on the radio before noon means that it’s going to be a good day. Sure, I celebrate the Coug’s entire catalog electronically, but isn’t there something a little more special about flipping stations, hearing those first few chords, and receiving “a little ditty about Jack and Diane” as an unexpected gift?
Christmas Time is Here is the song that opens A Charlie Brown Christmas, and it is hands down my favorite Christmas song. I’m fairly certain that I never scheduled watching A Charlie Brown Christmas until my twenties were almost over, and I’m just as certain that I’ve managed to catch it nearly every year that I’ve been on this planet. I’ve never been a guy that just camps out in front of the television and aimlessly flips channels, but it seems that most years, that is exactly what I’m doing when those first few chords of Christmas Time is Here let me know what my agenda is for the next half an hour.
There are so many things to love about Peanuts in general and A Charlie Brown Christmas specifically, but one of the most memorable scenes stars that thumb-sucking, blanket-toting ride-or-die friend of Charlie’s, Linus. You remember, right? Charlie has been put in charge of the whole Christmas play, and it seems that he can’t even get choosing a tree right. Charlie at his Charlie-est. His friends all laugh and even call him hopeless. All Chuck can do is scream, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about???”
Linus does, and every year it serves as a good reminder to me as well.
A few years ago, I bought a three DVD set of the Peanuts holiday specials. Every year since, my wife Ashley and I pop in A Charlie Brown Christmas and watch it. It’s always good, and I’m always moved by the power of Linus simply reciting the Christmas story from Luke… but I have to admit, there’s something a bit more special about flipping channels, hearing those first few chords, and receiving it as an unexpected gift.
Today’s story is by Jamey Henderson, and a couple of his favorite moments are linked below…
Jamey Henderson is trying to live a better story and would rather sit down to have a long, rambling conversation with you and his best friends than do just about anything else in the world. His wife, Ashley, rolls her eyes at him constantly while his poodle, Grizz, wonders why he isn’t throwing the ball. He thinks the Delta is prettiest part of this state, that you should mentor with STEP Ministries, and that the Class of 2016 should rethink graduating and leaving him all alone.