O Holy--sort of--Night

'tis the season to keep laughing!  want to sail above or right on through some of the more serious expectations and demands that seem to show up this time of year?  have a good chuckle.  turn it into a belly laugh.  get the giggles with a friend until tears stream down your face.  at this time of year, i have to ask myself, WWDBS?  (what would dave barry say?) and i think he might approve of the following holiday message.  i was attending a very classy holiday music party recently.  truly lovely.  lots of talent, lots of ages, great food.  as the evening progressed, however, and we moved toward the finale of the hallelujah chorus, people's drinking began to show itself.  which made me want to institute a new law against drinking and singing.  why is it, i asked myself, that when people sing "O Holy Night" they feel as though they must sing louder than anyone else around them, vibrato until the glass they are holding cracks and punctuate parts of the song that are actually supposed to be quiet?  a baby started crying.  "i'm with you, kid", i whispered in his direction.  and, i also felt like adding--targeted towards the contralto in the corner--"shh, baby Jesus is sleeping."  because he couldn't have possibly slept through what happened when the trumpet player started trying to one-up the contralto.  then the tenor in the christmas sweater piped in above both of them and, pinot in hand, singularly out-vibratoed them all.  i excused myself to the restroom when i knew the high note was coming because i'm not very good with a poker face and could freely laugh out loud behind the closed door.  here it comes..."O Night...Di-Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine" the baby cried again, a good time was had by all and i went home, laughing all the way...