Monday, October 31, 2005

Progress is overrated

When I was a kid, the "Charlie Brown" holiday specials were a special event in our house. We'd anxiously await the opportunity to stay up a little past bedtime and enjoy Snoopy's antics in anticipation of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter.
There were no VCRs, and if you missed the show, you missed it. You had to wait another year to see it. Our whole family would watch together and it was great family fun.
Today my children are fortunate enough to have a DVD player in the house, and we own DVDs of these Peanuts specials. They can watch them any time of year they want. They can watch them over and over again.
But owning a copy of these specials makes them a lot less "special." We don't all sit and cuddle on the couch and make popcorn and let it be an event--because it can happen any time.
I smiled yesterday as I cooked dinner and heard the Halloween special in the background--but it lost a little of its charm when Little Brother pulled out "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" as a follow-up. To him, these are entertaining cartoons, not holiday events.
I think I'll have to hide that Easter Beagle until Holy Week. It's only right. Technology is lovely, but sometimes it robs a family of those special moments. I'll have to make it my business to make sure the special moments still happen.

8 comments:

Saint Peter's helpers said...

The Charlie Brown specials were also a favorite in my family! I still remember Linus sitting on the pumpkin patch and waiting for the Great Pumpkin.

Steve said...

We bought Boudreaux a copy of Frosty the Snowman, and he wants to see it over and over and over again. It kind of dissapointed me for the same reasons as you Barb, and the other night when he wiggled down in the covers of our bed with me to watch the Great Pumpkin, I made up my mind we were going to keep these moments special. Frosty may be ruined, but not the gerat pumpkin.

Philothea Rose said...

I totally agree with you on this! That's why we won't buy them...we rent them when it is time if we miss it when it airs on tv. if we do buy them in the future, we will hide them in our holiday box in the garage.

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

It's definitely worth figuring out some Special Holiday Hiding Place for videos and things. After all, I have my box of Christmas CDs that I ceremoniously break out on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and my box of Christmas picture books that comes out at the beginning of Advent. I never thought to do the same with the movies.
Tomorrow, it all will be put away--except for "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."

Steve said...

I cant wait to break out my Christmas music!! I've got one I really like; "Nancy Tabb Marcantel's "La Louisiane Chante Noel".

I actually dont mind hearing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving; it kind of builds up my appreciation for Christmas even more....But I dont want to hear it exclusively.

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

In my house, on the 3rd Sunday of Advent we decorate the Christmas tree.
I might have played some Christmas music before then, but that's the day it really hits full force!
It's hard to hold the kids off decorating before that point, but we are trying to teach them the anticipation that is part of the Advent season. I'll be hitting this subject again, I'm sure, in the next few weeks!

Der Tommissar said...

I hgad a moment like this when we were watching the Great Pumpkin after the kids went trick or treating.

While the DVD was playing, the kids were dividing their candy loot. The older boy said, "I don't like York Peppermint Patties".

I went into a trance, "I'll take it. They're sponsoring the show, after all."

Everyone stared at me. I guess I'm the last person to associate York Peppermint Patties with Charlie Brown specials.

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

I'm right there with you! I remember all those Peter Paul commercials....never did get to try whatever a "Caravelle" is before they stopped making it! Remember the jingle?
"And me, I like my Mounds...oh well, Peter Paul makes them all taste swell."