There\u2019s a lot to be said about Christmas in big cities.  They have magnificent Christmas trees like the one in Rockefeller Center in New York City.  Their big city lights must cost millions of dollars to light up their section of the world. And what about places like Santa Claus, Indiana; or North Pole, Alaska? I can only imagine these cities where Christmas is celebrated year-round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year I\u2019ve paid a little more attention to the simple things about Christmas.  The small town where I live is all about getting people out of their homes and into the community.  They start Christmas with local businesses staying open late and homemade craft vendors selling their goods. Babies are traumatized as they come face to face with the bearded man dressed in red for the very first time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A few weeks later, there is a parade where homegrown kids bang their drums and toot their horns while proud parents and grandparents stand on the parade route to catch a glimpse.\u00a0 Pick-up trucks and 18-wheelers are adorned with garland and lights donning the cabs. \u00a0 They are decorated by locals who put everything into taking home the winning prize – even though they don\u2019t know, or even care, what that prize is.\u00a0 Knowing they have done their best is good enough.\u00a0 And the highlight for parade goers is catching candy or even a roll of paper towels thrown out by the folks from the local paper mill. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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