About Winter, and Music

It finally got cold enough in my apartment for me to turn on the heater, which led to my wondering if I really have a heater, or just an air conditioner capable of generating cold or slightly less cold air.  However, I let it run a while and it seems to have gotten the hang of its job finally.  It's awfully loud, though, so I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Side note: I always have trouble not writing my name when I write the word "heater".  This is because, the one time I went to summer camp, I misspelled my own name while decorating a hat.  Everyone made fun of me and called me "heater" for a week.  It was traumatic, and I vowed to never forget that second H in my name ever again, but an unforeseen side effect of this vow was that I would forever associate the word "heater" with my name.  End side note.

I have a love-hate relationship with winter.  In theory it's wonderful, snow makes everything look beautiful, you get to snuggle yourself into big sweaters and blankets, and there's several holidays devoted to eating heavy foods and getting presents.  On the other hand, snow inevitably gets dirty and makes everything look like it's been soaked in dingy bath water, sickness abounds, and you end up dealing with drama from relatives you don't even like.  You pay for all the pleasantries of winter, and sometimes I'm not sure if it's all worth it.

The biggest issue I have with winter is Christmas music, and I think just about anyone who has spent a holiday season working retail would be inclined to agree.  They start blasting those god-awful tunes right after Thanksgiving, and there's literally no reprieve until New Years, which can (and does) drive a lowly sales associate crazy.  Imagine folding dozens of identical cable-knit sweaters while endless onslaughts of chimes and sleigh bells taunt you with their merriment.  Picture being yelled at by a cantankerous customer for running out of gift boxes and, in in the brief pause provided as she catches her breath, you catch the all too sweetly harmonized end to "God Rest Ye merry Gentlemen".  Tidings of comfort and joy?  Really?

You will be driven to the edge of madness.  Your ability to believe in the goodness of humanity will plummet.  Your smile muscles will fracture, and you will develop a barely perceptible eye twitch.  You will begin to cast furtive glances towards the craft scissors by your register and contemplate various evils.

If I am exaggerating, it is only slightly.

Those days are far behind me now, but I was reminded of them today because the bell tower on campus was chiming out Christmas songs.  I had mixed feelings about it.  I'm sure some people thought it was cute, but I've been jaded, so for me Christmas music is more about endurance than enjoyment.

But fear not, there is still some hope for me, in the form of The Boy Least Likely To.  This group is new to me, and I love them very much.  They made a Christmas album this year, and I was skeptical of it, but they made a couple tracks available for free, and thus convinced me to make the purchase.  Here's a song from it, to close out this post:

This is "The First Snowflake".  It's simple, melancholic, and somewhat child-like, but by no means sing-songy or overbearing.  It's the perfect antidote to everything I dislike about Christmas music, really.