Mechanic Falls news

MECHANIC FALLS — I am in a Christmas coma, which means I am unable to move from a curled up position on the couch. This happens every year, usually two days after the holiday. I start reading the latest book I received for Christmas and that’s it. My body begins morphing into the shape of the sofa and I go deaf to the pleas of teenagers complaining that molasses chews are the only chocolates left in the Whitman’s Sampler.

Truthfully, I milk this coma-like state as long as I can, because I know that in a matter of days the tree is going to have to come down and all the decorations will need putting away, the furniture put back into its rightful position, not to mention keeping the leftover cookies, fudge and cream cheese celery sticks from refrigerator purgatory.

As I write this, Mechanic Falls is being pummeled by the first blizzard of the year. The accumulation isn’t too bad, but the drifts are causing some problems and the wind is brutal. Several area teens from the Vineyard Church headed out this morning to shovel people’s driveways and walkways for free. Other than that, I haven’t seen too much activity outside. It’s just as well.

Sometimes we need a forced downtime, otherwise we’d just keep moving, believing that productivity is an indication of success or even good character. I’m for getting things done and for not wasting time. But is it wasting time enjoying a good book accompanied by a delicious cup of hot tea? Is it wasting time playing a game of Office Clue while still in my pajamas? Am I not being productive because I have a garage full of wadded up wrapping paper still waiting to hit the dump while I lick frosting from the homemade cinnamon roll I found stashed behind the toaster? There’s a time for everything, certainly a time to be working and accomplishing some worthy goal. But, there is also a time to rest and to reflect and to eat the contents of the Whitman’s Sampler stashed in the freezer, minus the molasses chews.

This is why I have never made a New Year’s resolution. I have too many exceptions to my own rules. Besides, I can’t stand the pressure of putting all the eggs of changing things about myself or setting up goals for the new year on that one day. I feel better about deciding to lose a couple of pounds on, say, a Tuesday in February. This way I’m bound by my own convictions and not a date on the calendar. Plus, it's my little secret.

The only ritual I keep on New Year’s Day is filling out my new calendars and date books. I take the ones from the previous year and use them to fill in all the birthdays and anniversaries for the new year. Then, I go through them month by month, remembering all that went on the last 12 months: the chorus concerts, the dentist appointments, visits from family and friends and the reminders to fix "fill-in-the-blank." I get a play-by-play of the year and it makes me thankful for what’s happened and hopeful for what’s to come.

This new year I would love to hear from Mechanic Falls residents more often. If you have a school, church or social event you would like me to write about please e-mail me at mitsou7@msn.com. I need a two-week lead time. Happy New Year!