The neighborhood was quiet. Middle of the day. Everyone at work. ‘Cept for the dogs. They waited to bark at delivery people from behind closed doors.
Only the hum of the inflatables. You know the inflatables. Anyone who’s ever been to Target, Walmart, Costco, or Sam’s Club sees them looming in Christmas (or Halloween) display areas.
The inflatable Santa was next door to the house I was delivering to. Beyond that Santa, a larger Santa, surrounded by a sleigh and reindeer, bobbed gently in the breeze, drowning out the purr of the generator making it all possible.
I smiled to myself, chuckling internally about the “Christmas decoration neighborhood competition.”
I can hear it now:
WIFE: “The Thompson’s put up a Santa.”
HUSBAND: “Is that what I keep hearing? The hum of the blower on that inflatable thing.”
(HUSBAND stands, looks out window.) Kinda ugly. Doesn’t look like Christmas with all that dead grass and warm wind. Then there’s that weird red and white Santa, bobbing in the breeze.”
WIFE: I think we need to get a bigger one.
H: What?
W: A ten foot one is at Sam’s. I saw it.
H: How much?
W: Who cares? It’ll blow Thompson’s mind when he sees it. He’s had that thing up every year from Halloween til Valentine’s Day!
As I drove away from my delivery, I noticed the other side of my delivery house had an inflatable. A smaller one, yet, with it’s own style: An inflatable Thanksgiving turkey.
Merry Thanksgiving and Happy Christmas to you and yours!
May the best yard decoration win!