Stoked by the holidays spirit

Didn’t think it would happen so soon, but I’m actually stoked for the holidays.

Let’s not get crazy here. I haven’t finished (nor really started) my shopping. Christmas spirit is one thing. Braving the mall right now, with its crush of people, sales-sales-sales and not knowing what I’m looking for is something else entirely.

I prefer to leave such adventure for later on, when the shelves have been picked clean and I don’t have to think too hard about what to get. It’s great system, really. Eliminate the possibility of choice and shopping’s a breeze. You pick up what’s left and concentrate on the hard sell at home Christmas Day.

Shopping is a big issue for many, but not me. It does absolutely nothing to promote holiday cheer. Christmas parties, on the other hand, work wonders, and there’s no shortage of them.

Most times my social calendar is governed by what the kiddies are into more than occasions that enable social discourse among adults. The Christmas season is the exception to the rule and the plethora of parties is a great way to overcome festive insouciance.

A lot of companies host soirees, the bulk of which include a great meal (ours was pot luck and fantastic!), music and a fascinating glimpse into how people react outside the office.

I know what you’re thinking: someone usually ends up with a lampshade on his head.

That may have been so in the past, but partiers nowadays are very aware of the dangers of drinking and driving and react accordingly. At our staff event, for example, if you had two drinks and didn’t have a designated driver, you took a taxi home. No exceptions. Didn’t matter where you lived; the key was to arrive alive.

That didn’t mean you couldn’t do the lampshade thing, or whatever else you may have had in mind. It suggests, however, a much more peculiar fare for the cabbie tasked with delivering such an enthusiastic reveler.

Still, with that taken care of, folks could chat, eat, watch the good dancers command the floor and then occupy a tiny piece of it later when brave enough finally to kick it loose. Count me in that category, kids.

I think it’s wild, too, how people check each other out, but it’s all part of the fun. Santa usually makes an appearance, goodies are handed out and everyone goes home happy.

It’s casual, silly, occasionally outrageous and a great way to foster good feeling. It’s also a fine way to acknowledge friends and co-workers. I know a ton of people who bust their humps day-in and day-out to keep your news coverage current and relevant. They work a full week, nights, weekends and whenever the call comes, and what better way to say thanks than with a company-sponsored soiree.

Add to that gatherings that include family and friends and it’s a sure bet your holiday mojo’s on overdrive. Proper thing, I say.

Indeed, the calendar’s packed for the next couple of weeks and it’d be easy to throw in the towel and say to hell with it. But Christmas will come and go as quickly as Santa’s reindeer and a little shake, rattle and roll prior to couldn’t hurt.

Be responsible, of course; don’t drink and drive. But have fun, too, because the moments that make up the holiday season boil down to one fundamental thing: communion.

And isn’t that what a Christmas party is all about?