Tom Rupp commentary: It is time for a Merry Christmas

Well, here it is (just about). Only four more days to the big day, ready or not. And only 10 days to the new year. It is a lovely time of year. Sixty-five years ago, 13-year-old Brenda Lee recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Now she is at the top of the Billboard 100 chart with that same recording. Everything old is new again. Doing this, she becomes the oldest person ever to top the US chart. The next time you listen to that version of the song, understand the singer was only 13 years old at the time. Wow. Judy Garland told her, "Don't let them take your childhood," and her mother said, in true Southern fashion, "Don't get above your raisin'(g)." Selling more than 100 million records and being married to the same man for 60 years has sure helped. Everyone knows Charles Dickens for authoring "A Christmas Carol." However, he wrote five tales set in the Christmas season. Two years ago, I read "The Chimes" and this year the reading plan is "The Cricket on the Hearth," about 76 pages long. Life is too short to be able to read everything, so choose wisely. Life is too short to read poorly written stuff, or to waste it by scrolling the endless online gripe session your cell phone gives you access to. There is so much junk to ignore in order to find the good stuff. We are all given the same 60 minutes in an hour, the same 24 hours in a day. What separates us is what we decide to do with them. What do I want for Christmas? Well, I don't mean to be guy, but not only is there nothing on my list, but I do not even have a list. I capitulated and sent my son a few books for him and his wife to choose from. I like nice cards and thoughtful letters. These are the things to save and pull out every December, reliving pleasant memories. I also collect Christmas stamps. It pays to be, as Lynyrd Skynyrd calls it, "a simple kind of man." So examine your expectations and make sure they are realistic. That helps your peace of mind during this hectic time. Next week is the final column of 2023. It's a special one for me, my testimony of 50 years. Lord willing, check it out. Merry Christmas. Tom Rupp is a Folsom resident and weekly Telegraph columnist. You can reach him at truppfolsom@yahoo.com.