S. Claus, C-14

Posted on 24 December 2007 by Erik Hare | 6 Comments

I recently learned that my youngest child still believes in Santa.

This might take some explaining. I have a strict policy of never lying to the kids about anything. They either get a straight answer to a question, or a reason why they won’t get a straight answer. Being a divorced father, however, the determination of my kids’ mythology isn’t entirely up to me. “Mythology” is the nice word for “lies”, or more accurately “lies that reflect the way we have decided to look at the world no matter what reality has to say about it”. Not that I’m bitter.

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Darkness and Light

Posted on 21 December 2007 by Erik Hare | 1 Comment

It is dark outside, a combination of the shortest day and a deep, mystical fog. The usual 8 hours and 41 minutes of daylight we can expect has been snuggled under what feels like a ground-hugging cloud, akin to being tucked under a warm blanket.

This is the end of the year traditionally. The new year should begin at Solstice, as is the ancient European tradition, just as the day begins at midnight. The only reason it doesn’t is that the Romans used a calendar, the Julian, that was off a bit by the time Pope Gregory XIII got around to revising it and everything moved ten days. No matter. The world since the Renaissance has always been what we decree, not what we see.

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Memoir

Posted on 19 December 2007 by Erik Hare | Leave a comment

I’m writing a rare Thursday blog because I have a rare purpose. I need your help.

As many of you know, I’m not exactly a published author. I write not for money, but for the cheap thrills and even cheaper therapy it brings. Or, as Bleeding Gums Murphy said in “The Simpsons”,

The blues isn’t about makin’ yo’self feel better, it’s about makin’ ever’one else feel worse. And makin’ a few bucks while yer at it.

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Eyes of a Child

Posted on 18 December 2007 by Erik Hare | 1 Comment

This time of the year, the holidays bring back memories that allow us to see the world, once again, through the eyes of a child. This is not some sentimental side effect of the rituals we go through, but is in many ways the reason they are important. A few moments spent contemplating this over a swirling mug of cocoa can show that seeing the world through the eyes of a child is actually a vital lesson.

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Solstice

Posted on 17 December 2007 by Erik Hare | 3 Comments

This week is the big winter holiday – the Solstice. At 06:08 GMT on Saturday (just after midnight Central time) the northern hemisphere will being turning back towards the sun. We celebrate it by blowing out the many candles that are lit and enjoying a few moments without light or sound – just the music of the spheres to contemplate for a moment. This is our holiday for the season.

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