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2B Daily News – Saturday, December 21, 2013 Opinion DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 All that is right this Christmas There are many among us who make — and usually break — the annual solemn vow that this year they will not let the crush of the Christmas season tie them in knots. In a time that is supposed to evoke joy and good cheer, we often feel rushed, harried, depressed and even angry. But it is at these times that we must stop, take a deep breath, reflect and search for perspective. Ours is a simple counsel: choose to eschew the stress and hubbub of the season and realize there are many things that are right in this world. For Christians what is right is that this holiday marks the celebration of the birth of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Considering the significance of that for just a brief time should be humbling to any true believer and make them slow down to enjoy and reflect on the moment. For most non-Christians, this remains a significant secular holiday often offering precious time with friends, family and loved ones. That opportunity is a special gift and should be embraced and relished. Then there are the selfless actions of those we see around us. Maybe it's the local food banks and Salvation Army that make sure the less fortunate among us have something to eat, or the Probation Department that tirelessly worked to supply bicycles on Christmas to children who would otherwise have little, or the help for the homeless provided by cial place in our hearts for PATH and area their families. churches. They are Editorial In the spirit of but a few of the the season, our sinWhat do cere wish is for dozens of organizations dedicated to you think? everyone to have a the service of oth- Let us know happy and meaningers. They most ful Christmas holiassuredly provide us day. with some of the things right We urge Christians to take in this world. time to truly remember the Yes, Christmas has tenets of your faith and reflect become far too commercial- on exactly why this day is ized for our taste, but we are important and for the nongrateful that it is up to each religious to use the occasion of us to decide how we will to consider the blessings of celebrate this holiday and this life and to share a kindexactly what is important to ness of spirit with those us. around you. We are also grateful to not And, finally, that there be have soldiers on the battle- peace with us all. Merry field in Iraq and to have Christmas. declining numbers in Afghanistan. We are grateful This editorial is an edited for those soldiers who have version of a piece produced by served there and have a spe- the San Jose Mercury News. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary The season of light The daylight portion of each day dwindles from September 21 through December 21 as the Earth wobbles on its axis. We turn our lights on earlier than we did before this time of year, and we bundle up sooner when we go out in the late afternoon. Once in a while we are blessed with a spectacular display from nature, even in the fall. The sunset on December 10 was one of the most glorious I have seen in my forty years in Red Bluff. The smooth layer of white clouds were transformed by a subtle atmospheric shift to form a wavy pattern, almost like corrugated fence material allowing the blazing sun to spread its fiery light to penetrate through the thinner parts in a brilliant display. That particular sunset was special, but at this time of the year there is another special light we see that removes the shadows and reveals hope. We will have grandchildren home for Christmas this year, a first, and we will not be traveling to winter at one of our children's homes for the first time in many years. That means we had the treat of treasure hunting as we opened and explored the miscellaneous plastic tubs full of seasonal decorations. Each tub presented us with surprises and memories. We had carefully rolled up each strand of lights when we put them away, and so we didn't have to deal with the natural entanglement that seems to take place even when boxes of lights are not moved. The strands each tested okay and we proceeded with confidence to string them on the front of our house. It was a very cold (for Red Bluff) day, and I had to chose between wearing gloves that deprived me of much dexterity or going bare which deprived my fingers of feeling. All was going pretty well until we tried to connect the strands of lights from one side of the house to a strand coming from the other direction; we had two male ends and couldn't make the connection. So I took the strand from the right side down and re-hung it; in the process I heard a snap when I pulled the lights across the downspout. I mumbled something under my breath and tried to cross my numb fingers. We plugged everything in correctly the second time, but the strand I had just re-hung would only light only about half way down; I pulled the first unlit light, a difficult task with no feeling in my fingers and took a light from a back up strand; it would not seat itself in the socket, because the light I had pulled had broken off at the base. More mumbling, as a pulled the defective strand down and then carefully replaced it with the backup. This time I was successful. All the while this was happening I had thoughts of Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation, hoping no accident would befall me while I stretched on top of the ladder and then plugged in my relatively modest light display. Other than numb fingers I did all right. I treated myself to a cup of hot chocolate after this adven- ture; even after that it took sev- receptacle on the tree. Eventualeral minutes before my fingers ly all was connected, and there were no unlit bulbs. returned to normal and Hanging the ornaI could use my comments was far easier puter keyboard. and much more enjoyWe store our Christable. Those we chose mas tree in a large to hang each had a hisgarbage can and a plastory behind them; tic tub in the garden some were made by shed; the stand for the our children in tree was easy to find, preschool many years but it had been folded ago; some elicited up and was difficult to memories of Christopen. I tugged and mases past. We put the tugged, and at last gave Joe more fragile ornait my best effort; ments on the top half miraculously it did of the tree, out of open up, but in doing grandchildren reach, so two of the welds and the "unbreakable" that held the legs to the base broke. I am not sure if I was ones along the bottom. We covstronger than I thought (not like- ered the stand, added two lit ly), or if the metal was too cold reindeer to the skirt, and smiled to tolerate my tugging on it. in anticipation of our grandchilFortunately we were able to buy dren's wonder as they looked at an inexpensive plastic stand we the tree when they arrived in a could snap together and which week. The light of that tree will stay required no pulling or tugging. Next we put the three sec- with us throughout this season tions of the tree together; this as a reminder of the blessing of was actually a snap even if I had Christmas, family, and love. We to make sure my eyes were not are fortunate and count our poked or scratched by the offen- blessings each day, but at this sive plastic pine needles which time of the year the special light were standing guard to hide the of the season allows us to see proper place to set each section. them even more clearly. SomeThen came the task of connect- times I may seem like a curmuding the three sections of wires geon when commenting on that provide juice for the lights; political activity in town, but livwe found the first connection ing in Red Bluff is truly one of fairly early on, but it took a those blessings. Happy holidays to you. flashlight, good eye protection, and patience to find the other Joe Harrop is a retired two. Of course adding the lighted angel to the top of the tree educator with more than 30 required good balance, a long years of service to the North arm, and guess work about plug- State. He can be reached at ging it in to the last remaining DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. Harrop