A very short Christmas thought inspired by Mandy (‘M’), our happiness secretary.
Last year I blogged about challenging my family to a board game over Christmas. My fave is Risk, but that’s deemed too aggressive by my teenage daughter. She prefers Cluedo, which gets a yawn from my teenage son (no ‘proper weapons’ apparently). So we ended up with Monopoly which is, according to them both, a proper ‘bored game’ (despite their faults, their use of nuanced English is exemplary, I might add). My aim was to play Monopoly so enthusiastically that they couldn’t help themselves and, do you know what, it was fabulous.
Because you know, just as well as I know, that it’s not really about Monopoly.
So when M tells me that she’s seen cartons of pre-separated egg whites in Tesco last week, I don’t know how to feel. A great example of busyness, for sure. But it’s good isn’t it? Surely, whomever’s making the meringue can do so quicker, thereby spending more time playing Monopoly?
But then M texted me from the garden centre informing me that things had taken a turn for the worse. They were selling paper chains ready-made up! Now you might have to be of a certain vintage to get this reference and, if you are, you will remember that paper chains came in a flat pack. Strips of coloured paper that you had to lick to create a loop. And it was at least a half day job to create paper chains that were then blu-tacked to the corners of the ceiling (30 years later, the remnants of blu-tac are still there!).
And to use M’s words, wasn’t that the point of paper chains, sitting together licking and sticking, alternating the colours, and seeing how long you could make them?
Just as Monopoly’s not about Monopoly, making paper chains isn’t really about paper chains.
Christmas presents are all well and good. But we prefer Christmas presence.
Have a fabulous time.
AC x
PS If you’re looking for a last minute gift, all of our books are in stock.