The Secret of Christmas
Brian and Justin were seated next to each other on their couch in the loft –
quietly surveying the recently completed and fairly elaborate Christmas
decorations. In the true spirit of the season they were also listening to some
traditional Christmas music from their computer - courtesy of Accuradio.
“Thank you for all your help, Bri,” Justin told the big guy next to him. “I
couldn’t have got it finished without your kind help and complete cooperation
…..”
“And the sum total of my help and cooperation was to keep away from all the
decorations while you and your band of roving artists from the Institute
transformed my usually shabby loft into a veritable winter paradise,” Brian
smilingly complained. “Well I’m glad they’re all gone now and I’m at least
allowed to look ….”
“But I don’t think you’re looking at the decorations at all, Mr. Kinney,” Justin
pointed out. “I think you’re looking at me ….”
“Which doesn’t surprise me at all, Sweetheart,” Brian groused without rancor,
“since you obviously consider yourself the center of the whole universe….”
“We all do what we do best, Bri,” Justin consoled him - then changed the subject
quickly. “Hey Brian,. they’re playing that neat Christmas song that I like -
that doesn’t get played very much at all …..”
“That’s Bing Crosby, JT – used to be the biggest thing on the music scene –
singing The Secret of Christmas,” Brian told him. “It is a nice song ….”
“And Bing is onto something too, BK,” Justin enthused. “He’s absolutely right.
Those last words:
‘So may I suggest the secret of Christmas
Is not the things you do at Christmas time
But the Christmas things you do
All year long.’
They hit the nail right on the head. That’s what Christmas is all about. Every
day should be like Christmas”
“Well actually, Baby,” Brian told him, “they’re not exactly Bing’s words. The
song was written for him by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. Sammy wrote the
lyrics so it’s actually Sammy who got Christmas right even though I’m sure Bing
agreed with him. Sammy and Jimmy worked with Bing for a long time. They did
songs for a lot of his movies. This one is from a movie called ‘Say One For
Me’ from around 1960. It happens to be Mikey’s favorite holiday movie. He
has the DVD if you want to see it ….”
“Anybody else in it that I know, Bri?” Justin seemed interested.
“Yep,” Brian informed him. “Debbie Reynolds – we saw her show in Las Vegas last
time we were out there – and Robert Wagner who is always on cable TV selling
something to old folks. Wagner was really hot in his day though. Worth watching
the movie just to see him….”
“Guess it’s all right for you to watch it then if it’s like – 50 years old,”
Justin laughed. “Mr. Wagner is probably too old - even for you – so maybe we
should watch it during the holiday season ….”
“Geez, Taylor,” Brian acted surprised, “you are certainly always aware of the
possible competition – but I guess I can understand why ….”
“Yeah you probably can understand why better than I can,” Justin laughed. “So is
there anything like – Christmassy – that you’d like us to do now that the
decorating is all done and we’re just sitting here – the two of us – full of the
holiday spirit?”
“I guess I could think of something, Sweetheart,” Brian told him, “but let me
first remind you that the secret of Christmas is not the things you only do at
Christmas time - but the Christmas things you do all year long …..”
“Didn’t I already tell you Bing was onto something, Kinney?” Justin snuggled
closer. “You think I don’t know that?”
“Hey, Kiddo,” Brian moved closer too, “they’re playing our song …..”
“Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer?” Justin wondered. “That’s our song?”
But as things eventually developed, ‘Grandma’ actually worked out just fine for
them – whether it was their song or not - so Brian must have been right.
And every day did seem like Christmas for the guys in the loft.
NOTE: The movie clip of Crosby, Reynolds and Wagner singing the song is on
Youtube at
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXWobKYLaPU