City Lights

A week ago, Dustin and I went to The Angelica to see a matinee. We came out of the movie to the dark of night and hydraulic sigh of machine and wrist-flick of men in a cherry-picker flinging cords of Christmas lights into branches, branches, branches. And it seemed a little early, still observing Veterans' Day and all, but yet so welcome to see the colorful strands, so cheerful, the leafless trees like candy. And by Saturday Dallas had officially moved on to other holidays, lighting the big downtown Christmas tree and welcoming Santa and screening It's a Wonderful Life and everything. I'm sad to say we weren't there at City Lights, but we've made a pact to catch it next year. And, this is a consolation: if we hadn't been on the way to the airport Saturday afternoon, we might have missed the mega-church by the freeway, we wouldn't have known they've wasted no time and already have tied in place the giant banner reading, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" The season's gifts begin.