What part of Christmas?

The lure of the holiday is something that is to be tried and trued with fine ingredients and with an ultra fine toothpick to measure its stance in quality and taste to perfection – it’s the first rule of holiday Christmas cooking or baking at least to say.

I know what you thinking? What part of Christmas am I talking and blogging about? I have no idea at the moment, it’s just the title that back in an attempt to get me to write something about the Christmas Holidays – even though there are less than twenty-five days until Christmas to say, the magic is yet to hit home.

It’s the part of Christmas that seems to play the name and jealousy game between the physics of a magical holiday, while one either wins or one loses on the wager of a tumble weed bet gone viral in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the lost voyages of the rustic clay of the Arizona Desert.

There’s a fine needle somewhere in the middle the haystack, where the true honors of Christmas miracles are legends in its own way – they are only made once upon those who see the true meaning of a plausible holiday, that brings true miracles to the wealth of those who deserve a unique price to a generous holiday that could bring the most of the most or the least of the best of the best.

Let’s find the meaning of Christmas and share it’s truth and the miracles it produces along the way – you could discover some unique truths about yourself that you never knew you had from the beginning.

It’s July, think like Christmas

“Exactly!”, just as I said – July may be a Summer month, but I’m certainly thinking like Christmas some five months ahead of time. When the heat rises in the summer, you literally wish is was Winter again – that’s something many folks wish for, a trade of season’s, Summer for Winter – evidently, that’s how I see it. Pronto!

Over the weekend, the weather was nice, mild, cool, not as damp I was hoping it would be, but the mid-western portion of the United States didn’t escape the agony of every powerful severe storm that has plagued the region since Spring.

But for those on the Western portion of the country, Midwest and East Coast have all been experiencing some doozy heat factors of sorts, which brings on the thinking of “Christmas in July,” a forethought of mind in a writer’s mind to say.

You know you can’t escape it, unless you had the money and the magic can move you entirely south of the Equator in the southern hemisphere where the season’s are now in change, compared to change of seasons here in the northern latitudes of the world.

Thinking about Christmas five months ahead of time, when everyone wishes it was “Christmas in July, instead of December,” they say – is actually the ploy to write Christmas theme blogs and articles to be published some four to six months ahead of time to keep up with the ever deluge of Christmas reading and magical spirits of the holiday cheer.

Actually, its far better than one would think – It’s the productive moment to hype up one’s work into the holiday tradition with a well versed plan to cut down the much needed work that may he or she may penned during the most magical time of the year – Christmas.

I may already be thinking, angels coming to town, Santa flying his sleigh through the night, while spreading Christmas cheer to the millions and more before, the sign of the times becomes a mere reality that we will have to start the whole process all over again as the Spring and Summer months return north of the equator.

Has Sleepy Hollow once said, “you can sleep the gallows and hyphenate like the bears as they dwell into their caverns through the winter month, while your work has been cut out for you ahead of the paycheck before the candles and jingle bells hits the mating season it’s the caverns sleep.”

Which actually makes some perfect sense to say. Being ahead of the holiday game is the counter productive way to get things done a mere five or six months ahead of time and schedule. No matter what it will take being a writer it’s always the thing to do – it’s tradition in the freelance world of publishing and writing for writer’s to forge ahead of the holidays as when the winter months set in, the same hits home as one wishing it was the Summer mating season once again – think of it as the verse of the change of seasons, from the South to the North when it comes to changing season’s when Summer comes to the north, the Fall and Winter months head to the southern part of the equator.

But, the change of season’s in the world of writing, blogging and freelancing is always the same, no matter where int he world you are the tradition of writing is always the same, it has no effect on the change of seasons whatsoever, unless your one of those “Indiana Jones” types who dwell in the effects of world travels into ever-changing climates from north to south, its a true blessing at heart.

Well, at least Surf’s up, so, let’s hit some waves while we’re still at before the cold and damp winter settles into town a few months from now.

Make a Christmas difference!

For generations, Christmas magic has been abound in the minds of those who truly believe in the magic of Christmas and the holiday spirit of Santa Claus. The magic of Christmas bring the hearts of the mighty and those who are willing to believe the magic of Christmas isn’t just about the birth of Jesus, but, the celebration of his life and accomplishments he left behind on earth, before rising to heaven.

The holidays bring, family and friends together to celebrate the centerpiece of Christmas – fabled or not, the true meaning rests on with those who truly believe in the magic of Christmas and the legacy, that has lasted for generations. Christmas is the celebration of Christ as some say, but, also the mass of his legacy as well.

The two bring the meaning of Christmas in the hearts of those who’ve experienced despair and life changes – but, for some, they’ve lost touch with the true spirits of life. Many of them have been living or walking the streets for years and have lost the joy of spending Christmas with family and friends they left behind.

I met a homeless man not to long ago, who’s been living on the streets for more than four years and left behind his family for reason’s known to him. One night, I was sitting at a restaurant not far from my house in the wee hours of the morning, watching his stagger into the restaurant asking for something warm to eat and drink. People had shown disregard toward him has he was stone cold in hungry and drunk. A few minutes later, he stepped outside and sat on the cold brick wall of the flower planter and decided to walk toward the parking lot, only to fall and hit himself in the head in the parking lot.

I was surprised see that no one had seen him fall. There’s a stark reminder that millions of people have been living the streets for so many days, months and years without seeing their family and friends, ultimately disappearing from their social circles of life.

Michael was his name, he was alone and the act of kindness of a stranger who decided to help him needlessly in the time of need, became his lifeline. That act of kindness become my duty, my intentions were to make sure he was safe and sound from his fall, but, his medical condition was uncertain, has he was alert and staggering and talkative as he possibly could.

It pegs me to see that Cities and Counties struggle to look and handle homeless populations differently, than, most cities who look to positive results to return them to society and getting their lives turned around being on the brings of failure and despair.

When it comes to the holidays, the struggles of life become a hardship, a scary alien of times to be exact – but, for those who feel the power of change, can feel the power of being part of society once again. The life of living on the streets and the idea of being homeless is a scare trot down the block – but, for some, they never return home in time for Christmas.

It’s only a penny of thought that the good can be done, while a right and a deed can go a long way in helping those in need with the magic of Christmas. Very few folks ever see the light of being kind, instead, they see the light of the darkness of those who tend to be greedy and mistuned to misfortune to those looking for change and a better life, than living on the streets.

Catapult, them all together and you bring the magic in their belief that there is someone out there that needs the kindness of an Angel. An angel that can spread its wings and show them that world isn’t about being in despair, but, being the life and goals, they’ve once dreamed of can be refocused to a memory of the past to a longing success.

This holiday season, give someone the gift of Christmas and the magic and faith in the spirit of love and kindness. Change a face or two and open up to the power of generosity and make a appalling difference in someone’s life this holiday season. I’m betting – your thinking “why not” and make a life worth changing and family feel welcomed to the spirit of Christmas.

After all – “it’s the magic of Christmas and the act of kindness, that’s changes a person’s life, more than you could ever imagine.”

This blog article is Copyrighted by Jeff Newton@2012

The good ole days: “A Wonderful Life”

Childhood memories make great Christmas stocking stuffers. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been slacking with a severe case of Hawaiian punch. “No, I’ve not been drinking a television commercial folks.” A recent childhood best friend revealed to me via email that, I’ve been slacking on the blog lately and “I’ve been deadbeat slow,” as he said, from Maui, Hawaii, where he now lives with his girlfriend Naomi.

The two recently, moved to Maui during and settled for some prime sand off the coast of Maui. But, all this slacking has given me, a 360 degree dose of Writer’s and blogger’s block these past few weeks – even though, I’ve been trying to work on a Christmas theme type blog piece – but, getting the right inspiring thought and topic, hadn’t been the greatest use of my writing and blogging time – most of it, still has to do with the recent death of my dog back in October.

Now, about that childhood memory – Even, Garrett is watching my blog closely from Maui, just to make sure, I’m blogging and writing, not slacking like an idiot! “Slimy beach bastard..!” “No, pun dude, just a laugh jerker from the Northwest, it ain’t easy when you run out of topics to write about, blogging-wise.”

One of the childhood memories, Garret brought up during a recent email exchange between the two of us from his home in Hawaii was, the way we used to play to play together as kids, in the likes of being “Firemen!” It was during the early 1970’s, when a popular television show was shown weekly, on NBC called “Emergency!” The series changed the lives of children watching an action drama series about two fictional Los Angeles County Fire Department Paramedics, “John Gage and Roy Desoto” and their friends of the fictional L.A. County Fire Station 51 in Carson City, Ca., just outside of Los Angeles.

Garrett, Myself and a few other neighborhood boys used to play Firemen, all the time and used my parents green sofa as the basis of a “hook and ladder truck,” at the time. I started to shed some tears, as I read his email and reflected a flashback of the time, which suddenly came alive as I continued to read his email. I had forgotten about the memory of us playing firemen together and several of our friends in the early 1970’s. “How, in the hell, a blogger and writer like Me, would forgot such a childhood memory in the course of my adult lifetime,” I asked myself while reading his email?

The silent voices from my head tell me – “Newton, you’re a friggin’ slacker of memory chips!” Go figures, I’m thinking, I must be a slacker idiot to begin with! Sheesh, thanks Jaros for mentioning it, by the way – “Your right, I have been slacking lately.”

But, the one thing for sure, the the drama series led to my career in being a volunteer firefighter and for more years, than, I can swing an axe with in my adult life today. In fact there’s a little history behind the “Station 51” on the show of “Emergency!” as it aired on NBC in the 1970’s. Something, that Garrett would be amazed about as he reads this blog post! “You didn’t think, I’d go that far did you dude?” “Figured that..!”

At the time, the Los Angeles County Fire Department didn’t have a “Station 51” at the time series was on the air, however, L.A. County Fire Station 127 was the “stand-in” at the time of the show. Decades, later, the very same fire station, which now operates as L.A.Co. Fire Dept., Station 127 and finally, the Fire Dept., built a real “Station 51” near Universal Studios with Engine 51, Squad 51 and Cart 51 at the Universal Lot and is a functional operating Fire Station of the L.A. Co. Fire Department – the tourist trams of the studio goes right by the fire station, I’m told and what I’ve heard and read about the history of behind Station 127 and Station 51.

The original apparatus’s used in the show have been retired from service and can be seen at the Los County Fire Department Museum in Los Angeles.

The memory of two Oregon boys, who became best friends for life with memories abound, hasn’t faded with one of them and the other still looses the charm of memory and slacking in his adult life of a memory childhood, nearly drained from the fuel tanks of life, has once again fueled his debate between choices of life.

I haven’t heard such stories of my childhood for years and decades to that have gone by without notice and fanfare. This particular memory, made me swell a few tears or gotten me into a little emotional little state of memory nearly lost in the memories of my childhood to adult life. It’s the reality of life, when your childhood was once a cherished memory – later in life in your adult lie it becomes a cherished memory the million dollar smile, that had been nearly forgotten.

It was 1970’s, when three young neighborhood boys became my best friends for life, Steven, David, Garret and I couldn’t have had a better childhood, than most of us would’ve imagined. Even though, we’ve gone separate ways in our adult lives and I still see Steve and David, occasionally via social media and in person.

Its one of those things in life that you utterly forget from time to time, until a close friend brings you the surprising gift of memory and later, you get it confirmed by your own mother. “An incredible journey of memory.” Some specific things, I utterly can remember, other’s have faded into the achieves of life.

Perhaps, this is what Christmas is all about? The castaway of life? The ultimate gift of life and memory? As George Bailey’s Guardian Angel, “Clarence” wrote in George’s Bible, in the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Remember, no man is a failure that has friends.” Clarence could be right all along in today’s reality of life. I couldn’t have agreed with Clarence on that statement, he made to George Bailey in his bible left atop a basket of money. Even, though, I would bet the dollar of bets, my own guardian angel would literally say the same thing, as if he or her were watching over my shoulder, while writing this blog post.

In fact, “it is a Wonderful Life,” as I come to think of it – “life can be the greatest test of all mankind,” even though, I’m still learning new things about my childhood, that has begotten me in my adult life. It’s all good and a great laugh track with a good friend on the islands.

Thanks for the buttercup of memory, dude, you just made the smiles of my Christmas in the memories of our childhood together – how inspiring can that be to one’s life as we grow older as Writers.

This blog article is Copyrighted by Jeff Newton@2012

Merry Christmas

Wishing all my readers and followers a very Happy and Safe Merry Christmas and Wonderful New Year in 2013.