CONVERTIBLE LIGHT THERAPY

Does anyone else ever feel a little melancholy after the holidays? Kinda blah, like it's all over just a little too quickly?

I know that sounds really strange coming from me, the least Christmas-y person you'll ever meet. But when you're a kid, the anticipation of Christmas fuels you for weeks until you finally get to open all of your presents. You spend a lot of time under the tree... you shake every gift with your name on it... you wonder if what you think is in that box is really in that box... and when you finally do stumble into the living room on Christmas morning to find the loot that Santa left, just for you, it's a pay-off of unequaled proportions in the kid universe. But once you're grown, and the thrill of ripping the paper off mounds of gifts is no longer part of the equation, the fun of Christmas really is only in the anticipation of it and then in watching others open the gifts you carefully selected for them. I think it may be different for parents, but that's how it is for single folks. The anticipation is the best part, and so the actual event doesn't always quite measure up.

So I feel a little nonplussed now that it's over. As I've mentioned, I got uncharacteristically excited about Christmas this year: Decorated my tree early, worked on the office party for weeks, spent a three-day weekend before Christmas on Mt. Magazine with my mom's side of the family, and even made the whole round of holiday visits before December 25. And so by the time the big day arrived, all of my holiday stuff was... well, over. It was nice to have a relaxing day off, but it was perhaps a little anti-climactic.

And here it is, December 26, and I find myself wanting to hang onto it a bit longer. Now, I never take my tree down before New Years anyway; I cling to the twinkle-lights as long as I can do so in good conscience... that part's not any different. But I realized that I still hadn't driven down to the Fayetteville Square to enjoy the Lights of the Ozarks display this year, so I called in a to-go order at Pesto Cafe (yes, the pre-resolution carb-load is in full-swing!) and decided to cruise through our local winter wonderland while I was at it. It seemed like just the extension I needed.

As always, the square was gorgeous. This year, though, something was a little different and I couldn't quite put my finger on it at first. Then I realized it was all the people, strolling around in their shirt sleeves. And in addition to the handsome cabs, Party-Time Ponies was there with a carousel of horse rides for the kiddos. And then I rounded the west side of the square and saw the camels. Brittnee had told me there were camel rides around the square this year, and I saw them with my own two eyes. Suddenly, the Lights of the Ozarks took on a carnival-like feel. I had these trippy flashbacks of little kids on camelback at the Gentry zoo. It was weird. Camel rides, 450,000 lights and Christmas carols. Oh, and to add to the oddity of it all, did I mention it's 70 degrees tonight?

As I drove down Mountain and hung a left onto 71-B, the very strangeness of it pressed on me. I felt compelled to double back and circle the square one more time. And I really wanted to make the next round with the top down on my car-- but that just seemed way too bizarre. And then I got to thinking: camels, Christmas music and a nice "Spring" night in Northwest Arkansas on December 26. Could a drive through the lights in a convertible really be that off-kilter??

I dropped the top and took another spin... I have to say, I enjoyed every second. It was much better with the top down... the lights were brighter, the music more melodic and the swirl of the humid late-December air wafting through the car was most welcomed. In a word, it was closure... ah... exactly what I'd been seeking, following all of the yuletide anticipation.