My Dirty Little Secret

OK, so it's not particularly exciting, and, honestly, is probably not anything that my close friends and family members would be particularly surprised about. But still.

Every year about this time (not before Thanksgiving, not too long after) I pull out my Christmas CDs and begin playing them in the car. Some are old favorites from my childhood (Robert Shaw Chorale), some are new ones that I've discovered (The Chieftains, a Rock and Roll Christmas). I usually buy a couple of new CDs every year or so, some of which are good and make it into the heavy rotation pile, and some of which, quite frankly, stink.

And everyone pretty much assumes that I do this because I love Christmas, and Christmas carols, and Christmas songs. And I do. Truly.

But that's not the real reason....

My church has a Director of Music who's fairly strict liturgically; he's frequently asked why he doesn't play/sing more Christmas music in Church in December. His response is, "Because it's not Christmas yet, it's Advent!" So, yeah, we don't get around to singing the carols till late in the month.

And I need the weeks of Advent singing carols in my car. Not because I need to remember the words, or I need the practice singing (though, this year my wind is off -- no running and lots of colds!)

No, I need that time to desensitize myself. Deep down, I'm a terrible softie, and virtually every Christmas Carol ever written makes me cry! I was driving to work today listening to the Chieftains, and the Wexford Carol came on (one of my faves, and actually written in my range), and I COULD NOT choke the words out! Can't do it.

So, yeah, I do love the music. But really, I'm building up my resistance so that when we DO sing them in church, I won't become a blubbering mess!