Bethlehem
The official and only Christmas City for the entire United States of America.
Having lived here for 34 years I should be bored by Christmas in Bethlehem but I am not. Every year I get excited. Granted I have off street parking. But, it is so much more than that.
It is Christmas in Bethlehem!
Main Street is full and when it snows it is almost magical.
The police horses are meeting & greeting tourists and keeping the peace.
The horse drawn carriage rides are running non stop and you can ride around Bethlehem pulled by a Princess's coachman - with the Princess herself.
And, what would Christmas in Bethlehem be without the Hotel Bethlehem. There is not a hotel that does Christmas better!
Today, as we were walking north on Main St. we heard someone say "Walk to the corner and turn around" the women's parents did and then we heard "Oh my God it's the star of Bethlehem" her parents, with tears in their eyes hugged each other and stood there holding hands looking down Main Street.
Speaking of holding hands - since I am spending a lot of time on Main St. these days I have witnessed a lot of same sex couples holding hands or walking arm in arm. How great is that?
Christmas is a week away you still have time to experience the joy that is my fair city at Christmas!
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Stop The Hallelujah Nonsense
We all know Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. It is song that has been sung by some of the greatest voices of our time. We all know and love the "Hallelujah Chorus" portion of the song - sometimes it sounds hopeful, sometimes it sounds mournful and sometimes it sounds spiritual or religious.
I have never understood why this amazing and brilliant song is used on Christmas soundtracks and I never understood it is used at times of national mourning or as a song meant to bring us all together and lift us up.
Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is about........ Wait for it.......... are you ready? ...........
Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is about - what almost every Leonard Cohen song is about......
The hardship of love. How painful love is. How difficult love is. Unrequited love. The ability to feel the same love another person has for you. The inability accept love. Wanting love but knowing you will never feel it. The inability to give your love fully, truly and completely. To Leonard Cohen love is a bleak and brutal landscape that must be walked across but every step is painful and in the end you will be left alone. And, you know that it is going to all happen again.
So, I am begging you do not use this song during your religious program, do not use this during a community gather of hope and recovery.
The only thing this stunningly beautiful song unites us in is that we have all been hurt by love and we have all hurt others in love.
Leonard Cohen in performance
I have never understood why this amazing and brilliant song is used on Christmas soundtracks and I never understood it is used at times of national mourning or as a song meant to bring us all together and lift us up.
Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is about........ Wait for it.......... are you ready? ...........
Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is about - what almost every Leonard Cohen song is about......
The hardship of love. How painful love is. How difficult love is. Unrequited love. The ability to feel the same love another person has for you. The inability accept love. Wanting love but knowing you will never feel it. The inability to give your love fully, truly and completely. To Leonard Cohen love is a bleak and brutal landscape that must be walked across but every step is painful and in the end you will be left alone. And, you know that it is going to all happen again.
So, I am begging you do not use this song during your religious program, do not use this during a community gather of hope and recovery.
The only thing this stunningly beautiful song unites us in is that we have all been hurt by love and we have all hurt others in love.
Leonard Cohen in performance
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