Running with the Balls

An an educator, the holidays don't start for me until after grades are turned in (usually mid December). After that, I actually notice the rotted pumpkins on the front porch and Jeff makes his yearly trip to the attic for our one small box of holiday decorations. In attempt to be little more festive, I went on a search for a holiday wreath. Who knew a wreath could cost $75? And this is how it starts. For the next few days, I'll become obsessed with the absurd cost of things. Did you know ONE yoga mat costs around $80? Did you know that a kid's travel pack costs $40 WITHOUT crayons, coloring books, stickers... For me, this is when the holidays become a consumer marathon that I don't want to finish.

Clearly I needed some inspiration, so a group of us did The Running of the Balls on Sunday night. Even though it sprinkled, the weather didn't keep us from running two loops around the decorated neighborhood. For entertainment, neighbors stood outside and sang carols, played holiday music, or shouted out in support. For me, I took advantage of the views on the first loop and was happily distracted by the funny costumes. I couldn't help but get warm, fuzzy feelings from the community coming together to create a new holiday event. For the second loop, I picked up the pace since the roads weren't as crowded. At the end of the race we were given hot chocolate and cookies for a walk back to our friend's house where we hung out and made new friends. It was good time and I guarantee this will become a welcomed holiday tradition.

Yesterday, the organizer sent out a message thanking everyone for their support and reminding us that the proceeds went to The Second Harvest Food Bank. This was the perfect moment to shift focus from the consumer marathon to the amazing things that people do for our community. Can you imagine the time and effort it took to organize a neighborhood event like that? Did you know that there is a group of bikers in Greensboro who make burritos every Sunday morning for the homeless?  Did you know that our roller derby team raises money for animal rescue at the Festival of Fights? It's refreshing to be asking these questions before we head out for our annual 13 hour drive across the U.S.

Happy holidays and warm wishes to everyone.

If you haven't seen the balls, here are a few twinkles.

Watch this to see how the balls got started.