I have a book of Christmas questions, just meant to be fun or to generate discussion. It’s now December 1st, so I thought I’d put one (or more) of these questions up each day until Christmas. Answer whichever ones you like.
Today’s questions:
— What is your favorite Christmas sound?
— You must choose between caroling for a children’s hospital or a convalescent home. Which one would you choose and what reason would you give for your choice?
this one is easy! i would go caroling at a children’s hospital because 1) i am totally comfortable singing in front of children, 2) they don’t know all the words so they wouldn’t know if i got ’em wrong, and 3) Christmas is still all magic and miracles to them.
Favorite Christmas sound…my dd playing Christmas carols on the piano.
Choosing between a children’s hospital or a convelescent home…hmmmmm…probly a convelescent home, and I’d be sure to get the room numbers of those without regular family visits. Of course, I’m biased toward this group of people right now with the stage of life I’m in caring for my convelescent mother, my answer may be different in a year or so.
Good questions!
Honestly, I rarely ever choose to listen to Christmas music on my own (cuz there aren’t many good 70’s funk Christmas carols), but I have to admit that I love waking up Christmas morning in my parent’s house listening to Vince Guaraldi (“Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown”), which is great except for those songs where the Charlie Brown kids start singing. The music’s good, but obviously it’s what it means that I like. Listening to the same music any other morning just isn’t the same.
For the second, if I had to choose (which is really unfair, btw), I think I’d go with… the convalescent hospital for the following mainly arbitrary reasons: (1) They are likely to be more appreciative just that I came, so it wouldn’t matter how bad I hacked the songs. (2) The kids can still get toys for Christmas, and presumably family is more prone to visit the kids, so I (arbitrarily) choose the convalescents as the more needy.
I said they were arbitrary reasons, not good ones. Is it possible to sing so loud that they can all hear me?
My favorite sound? Silence. Usually during the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, but also found later on Christmas Eve after everyone else has gone to bed. Maybe it’s extra special because of the noise of the preceding four weeks…
Kids or old folks? Widows or orphans? Been watching Sophie’s Choice again, Tracey?!? Sign me up for the old folks. Kids are easy to visit. Spend a few minutes with someone in a home and they’ll remember it for as long as they remember.
I think I’d choose — if forced — the convalescent home, too, for the reasons Adam and Rev both listed. (See — I got you guys to list the reasons FOR me … he he.)
And Adam — I’ve no doubt you could sing loud enough for them both to hear you, in a mellifluous way, of course. 😉
Thanks, Tracey. You reminded me of my mom just there by using a big word that I had to go look up. Fortunately I’ve learned that knowing lots of big words is not necessarily a prerequisite to be a good writer, so there’s hope for me yet!
The sound of silence just after a fresh fall of fat, pure, wet fluffy snowflakes – the kind that soak all the sound around you, even the flutter of a bird’s wings. Then… off in the distance… if you strain to listen – you can hear the angels.
An Alaskan winter can be like that…
(Sorry for the late response.)