caroling

Have you ever been caroling? I'll admit that I was apprehensive about going. Things were not playing out well in my imagination, but my wife really wanted to go, so I said yes.

.

Decisions, decisions. Do you visit complete strangers, or intrude on friends' homes. If you go to friends' homes, there can be a lot of driving around, and I think it's inconsiderate if they don't get advance notice.

.

My coworkers and I got into a discussion about this, and someone said that it can be awkward for the audience... we might call this person "the carolee," for lack of a better term. What is the correct response to a bunch of people singing outside your door? You don't know whether to tip them or invite them in, and serve hot cocoa or wassail. It is more than a little disconcerting to just stand there, twiddling your thumbs. Plus, it was COLD!! Do you leave the door open, and let the hot air escape or make everybody wait ten minutes until you suit up for the arctic side of the threshold?

.

We went to some town homes where they have a small courtyard between the "front entrances" At the count of three, we shouted "Merry Christmas" and then sang three songs before moving to the next courtyard.

.

This worked out very well, I think. Some of the residents walked up to their living room windows and watched from inside their homes. This was great for the carolers as well as the carolees. Even the shy ones could gape stealthily at the merry spectacle from the semiprivate shadows behind trusty double-insulated safety shields.

.

After the chill soaked through to bone marrow and the pain of frozen toes and fingers started becoming a potentially litigious health issue, we returned to the church lobby, where we thawed out to piping hot crockpots of soup and chili and yes, wassail.