East Enders – Tear Down Those Holiday Decorations!
Sometimes I wish Ronald Reagan was still alive and living in one of our cozy towns or hamlets.
I remember when he said to then Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” And sure enough, soon thereafter, the Berlin Wall fell.
If Reagan was here, right after Christmas, he could stand before all those who have smartly decorated their homes and businesses and say, “East Enders, tear down those holiday decorations!”
Come on, people—the multicolored lights, candles, life-size Santa, reindeer on the roof, et al are nice up to and including Christmas Day. After that, the speed with which they are removed determines the level of sophistication a region has.
I have no problem with the nice folks in Macon, Georgia or Tupelo, Mississippi keeping their decorations proudly displayed 365 days a year. But this is the Hamptons for crying out loud.
How would you feel if kids dressed up in costumes and came to your door begging for treats in mid-November? So, why then would you want to display Christmas decorations in January or in some cases February and beyond? You know who I am talking about.
I am not a Scrooge, as I love the decorations and the festive spirit of the season. But let’s face it, the decorations went up in some cases before Thanksgiving had even arrived, so I think they have been up long enough. For those that are too lazy to take them down before New Year’s, I ask, “You weren’t too lazy to put them up, were you?”
How can we keep our reputation, our status, our standing in the free world, when we lack the simple class to remove decorations immediately after the holiday?
Thus, my friends, I request, I beseech, I implore you to be responsible and immediately return our island paradise to its carefully crafted look of elegance, rather than making it look like some cheap streetwalker with too much makeup and bright red lipstick.
I am certain that Mr. Reagan would approve when I say, “East Enders, tear down those holiday decorations!”