Stephen Yeargin

December finally decided to act more like itself this week, after unheard of highs in the upper 70s. The cold has chased the insects back into the ground after a brief excursion in our apartment’s breezeway. Aside from that, there is little silver lining to the return of the seasonal weather. I spend a good ten minutes every morning scraping the windows of our two vehicles, while mine runs a bit rougher than usual. NES was kind enough this month to set a record high of their own on our electric bill.

I believe that a good portion of my character is comprised of patience, reason and optimism. All three tend to be jettisoned during the holidays, particularly the first two. The third is giving way to a rough breed of cynicism, where I lose just a little more faith in the motives of society. Perhaps it is really the self-induced naivety that wears off around this time of year rather than the literal definition. Regardless, none of it lines up with the “Christmas Spirit” you hear about so often these days.