Mark’s Musings – November 28, 2018

Mark Fortune

We’ve celebrated Thanksgiving Day, and participated in the craziness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday as I write this week’s column. Now, we prepare to observe #GivingTuesday – a great day for us to give something back but somewhere a side of me feels that this is a day established so we can somehow feel okay about stuffing ourselves (pun intended) on Thanksgiving Day, shopping and spending until we fell exhausted on the couch after Black Friday – how about another piece of pie! – and surfing and browsing on Cyber Monday for just the right gift. And I know this isn’t everyone but maybe you get the point . . .

And although it is certainly a nice way to remind us that we should give back I do know that we really don’t need this day here in Coshocton County as a reminder in the first place. Our hearts are big year ‘round – maybe they do grow a couple of sizes on #GivingTuesday and that’s okay. The people, organizations and businesses in Coshocton County tend to give when the need is there – and although it ramps up during the holidays as one might expect it really doesn’t ever stop. And it is people of all ages that give – from schoolchildren to our elderly citizens and everyone in between. We give and we give willingly.

We can also celebrate a big Buckeye victory over TTUN. This was one that was not a given by any means. When you are an underdog in your own stadium – especially when that stadium is the ‘Shoe – you know that the odds are not in your favor. TTUN came in ranked fourth and were on a quest to complete the fourth victory on the so called “revenge tour”. It was not to be as the Buckeyes rolled over the Wolverines in a big way and are now ranked sixth in the nation in the AP poll. The football playoff scenario has changed as well but it remains to be seen if the boys from Columbus can vault over Georgia and Oklahoma to make the four team playoff. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – Northwestern in the Big 10 championship game is still to come.

There’s lots happening locally – the Miracle on Main parade was a grand one – Warsaw celebrated too and Santa comes to the village of West Lafayette this Saturday. The first candle lighting will be held Saturday evening at Roscoe Village – always a fantastic event and a great time for families to celebrate the Christmas season. There is nothing quite like hundreds of flickering candles illuminating the darkness on a cold night. And I believe that is the point. There is a lesson for sure in lighting that candle.

It’s also the time of year when students have their Christmas pageants, band and choir performances, and kids start thinking about gifts under the tree. No doubt all of us have a favorite gift from our childhood memories. Perhaps some even still have that gift. I can only wish. That Red Ryder BB gun could be worth a small fortune by now. But would you sell it anyway? Of course not.

For those that are counting – and I know that many of you are – it’s now only 673 hours, 38 minutes and various seconds (hard to count the seconds as you type!) until the first broadcast of the greatest show ever produced hits the airwaves promptly at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and runs through 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. Of course, we all know that the show is “A Christmas Story”. Prepare yourselves now.

Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion