From the Editor
by Kara NelsonDaddy never took us to that fair (thankfully), but like sharks and small children, I am still attracted to -- and often distracted by -- shiny things. I make no apologies for this. And during the holidays, when such behavior is widely accepted as normal, I don't have to. It doesn't matter whether those Christmas lights were professionally installed across a sprawling estate, haphazardly strewn along the awning of your favorite neighborhood restaurant or carefully placed atop a modest FEMA trailer. What matters is that someone took the time to put them there with the hope that you might stop for a moment to behold them -- in all their bright, sparkly, simple goodness. No questions asked.
As a person for whom the pretty lights snaking a PPG smokestack once signaled the ultimate destination, I have come to appreciate the value of perpetuating a sense of wonder, at any age. Sometimes that means letting the reality of what lies beneath the lights fade away, if only for a moment.
Wishing you a happy and shiny holiday season.
