The plush turkey atop my cabinet at work is hardly a recent acquisition. In fact, he's appeared at several workplaces over the years, though even I'm not sure how long I've owned him. He has no helpful copyright date on the tag attached to his butt, and my memory, tangled ball of yarn that it is, only goes back to the job at the ad agency where an adorable account executive kidnapped it and left a ransom note. (Unfortunately, this was not her way of flirting with me. Dammit.)
Perhaps one of my former coworkers, some of whom read this bloggity, can chime in--when was the first time YOU saw this particular bird resting at my workstation?
The turkey will stay until next Wednesday, when it and I go home for the holiday. (No, I'm not traveling anywhere--Mom's in town, so I'll hop the bus to her place for Thanksgiving.) Until then, maybe it'll help stoke the holiday spirit, which at this point is but a spark sorely in need of kindling. The weight of this year and all the things that have gone wrong within it have me bowed. I'm tired, and aside from a dull ache in my frontal lobe, I'm fairly well numb. 2008? Won't miss you.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to kiss this year goodbye for a few more weeks. Until then, I bundle against the cold; trundle past Daley Plaza, where the tree and faux German village assembly continues apace for their formal debut next week; and continue my Christmas shopping, which I've already got about half done. That usually gets me into the season, though this year my budget is tighter than the the Little Drummer Boy's instrument of choice, so the presents won't be the elaborate constructs they are in more prosperous times. Still, picking out presents for those near and dear always makes me feel better, so the weeks ahead promise to have less bad and more good. More good is more good.
For now, I've got the turkey looking over my shoulder, colorful plummage garnering attention from current coworkers, one of whom spotted him and said, "That turkey needs a hug!" And a hug was given.
(Sidenote: The Christmas tree in Daley Plaza, when fully assembled and decorated, will look very like what you see in this photo, taken the day after Thanksgiving last year. Now that's a mighty shaft of holiday spirit, is it not?)
3 comments:
I'm sorry that this holiday season has been such an emotional challenge for you. I know how much you love Christmas. There's still time for the holiday spirit to hold mistletoe over your newly coiffed head and give you a huge smooch. Still, the end of this year will be cathartic for you. And there's always the promise of good things to come in 2009.
HUGS to you and that big fat turkey. Didn't he sit atop the cube over at the office on Michigan? I thought I remembered it with orange lights strung about and while conversing with Red Secretary as we stood around admiring the decor and brownies. But I could be mixing memories again.
You may be right, SBF. I recall having jalapeno pepper lights up in my cube, along with the turkey and various other things--until management told me to take it all down.
Post a Comment