A great debate is brewing in radioland. Do you prefer a fresh, live, Christmas tree, or do you celebrate with a faux Christmas tree? My family always had fresh Christmas trees.
However, I can well understand the appeal of fake trees: you don’t have to water them, no dry pine needles to clean up and you don’t have to worry about going out in all sorts of potentially bad weather to get a tree. They are often dormant in an attic or basement, resting quietly during the off-season. But yet, that can be a disadvantage. They appear the same every year. Perfect and poised for every Christmas. Fresh trees drive home the fact that nothing in life is perfect. Sometimes they have a “bad” side that has to be turned to the back so people don’t see it, or maybe a few low branches have to be taken off. Like people, they have their good points and bad points.
Last year I had “Angus” a fresh Scotch pine tree I named after a friend from Scotland. They are not a popular variety, but it is the kind we always had. The lot only had three on hand. So, I ended up with a beautifully shaped tree. The only problem was that it was far from majestic, it was two inches shorter than me. To put it mildly, Angus was short in the saddle, but it worked out great: no ladder was necessary to put on the lights and ornaments.
Good things can come in small packages.
I’m Rosie Klepper and that’s my perspective.
