By By Paul Keane
Publisher
Various tidbits while still trying to sleep off all the turkey ingested over the weekend:
Had a chance last week to serve as a judge in the "Miss ECMS" Pageant, which involves a bunch of brave young men dressing up as women and strutting their stuff.
A few thoughts came to mind while sitting their judging the dance competition, evening gown event and the interview sessions:
1.) They didn't make girls like that when I was in middle school, and
2.) Thank God for that fact.
Seriously, though, it was a fun event that should continue. The kids had fun, the contestants really got into the swing of things and it was just some good, clean fun that you often don't hear about in our schools nowadays.
Yes, some people will be up in arms about the fact that young men are dressing as women, and some people may have even been offended by the front page picture we ran on Wednesday featuring the contestants.
I say that it's good fun that breaks up the monotony of school life, and no one got hurt in the process. It was something different, and it showed the versatility of the students in question.
It also showed a ton of guts on their parts. I just don't know if I could put on an evening gown and high heels and parade in front of all my peers on a school day. My hats off to the 12 contestants that stepped up to the plate and made the event a hilarious time for everyone involved.
For anyone wondering if there is a God, I have two words for you: fried turkey.
Again this Thanksgiving, I had the honor of frying turkeys for family and friends. This year, we fried six or seven, I lost count, and it continued a tradition for myself and my family. For the past six years, my wife and kids know that a bunch of people are going to show up on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve, turkey in hand, in order to have a fried delight on their holiday tables.
Again, I go back to the original statement about God. While there are many of His wonders for us to behold, perhaps few come as close to the heavenly taste of a deep fried turkey. If you don't believe in God, then just explain to me how something that delicious could be made any other way.
Yes, I know it's not good for your blood pressure and arteries, but there's something intoxicating about the smell and taste of those plump, golden-brown birds sitting at a table just waiting to be devoured. And there traditionally is few leftovers once you get up from the table.
Now comes my favorite time of the year – Christmas. I really feel if more people believed the way I do about this holiday, we could all enjoy it much more.
Let's face it, Christmas is the only time of the year when you truly are allowed to revert back to childhood. People expect you to be young at heart, to see life through the eyes of a child and to be playful, happy and full of Christmas spirit.
That means I get a free ticket for the next month to do some things that I probably should do more of but never seem to have the chance during the rest of the year.
It means dancing around and being silly with my children, laughing all the way.
It means baking and making candy until my wife tells me that is absolutely, definitely the last time she will let me in the kitchen for the rest of the holiday season.
It means watching holiday specials with the kids and wife, even getting a little misty eyed from time to time and telling the teenage boy that I just have something in my eye, hoping all the while that he has that same thing in his eye.
It means "oohing" and "aahhhing" at Christmas decorations as we drive through neighborhoods trying to find the biggest, best, brightest and most unique ones. Since this is my first year in Atmore, I could use some good tips on where to drive around to find those decorations.
It means turning off all the lights in the house late at night, then turning on the lights on the Christmas tree, staring at it while listening to holiday music.
It means getting down on the floor with the kids and shaking each and every package under the tree until Mom tells us to get out from under the tree.
It means sneaking around and lying about things, knowing that it's OK to lie if it involves not letting someone know what you got them for Christmas.
Perhaps if we all took that attitude with us throughout the year, we could make our little corner of the world a little brighter.