A few nights ago I mentioned the Christmas decorations in East Sacramento. We were just passing through the neighborhood then, but tonight we made it official, my wife spending a good forty-five minutes cruising slowly through the heavily-decked out Christmas decoration extravaganza that begins at approximately 40th Ave in East Sacramento.
This was a good way to “get into the spirit” of the season, yet there were also several benefits unique to our stranger-than-fiction 2020 Pandemic world:
- It’s quite a thing to see people IN PERSON. Last night we had our Christmas party… on Zoom. It worked out quite well, all things considered. But it was not the same as our past parties in person. Obviously, online is the place where people are doing a lot of their connecting these days. So seeing people on the street is inherently special.
- It’s quite a sight to see people enjoying themselves! While there weren’t exactly crowds out on the street in East Sacramento, there were quite a lot of pedestrians, as well as people in car sight-seeing as we were. Seeing people doing something lovely–enjoying decorations–does something good for the spirit in itself!
- It’s quite a thing–to get out of the house! This is the year where even a trip to the grocery store becomes an “event.” As in, we get to go somewhere! So when the trip is not functional but purely to feel good, all the better.
We’ve done this trip to East Sacramento many years now, but this year’s trip obviously has a very different meaning: having something to go do that is for the mere benefit of enjoying the aesthetic of the Season alongside others who are doing the same.
Small pleasures, perhaps, but still appreciated.