The Holiday Lights

Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication. - Leonardo da Vinci

Jason drove around the suburbs for hours that night, looking for inspiration. His lighting success during previous holiday seasons had been complete disasters He always bit off more than he could chew and the lights never fully worked when he was finished. Of course, it was never his fault because he always knew what he was doing.

No, it was always something or some else’s fault.

This year he wanted it to be a fabulous, spectacular event.

Two weeks before Christmas was the perfect time to ride around. All the lights had already been up for a week. He didn’t see neighbors holding bigger and better contests, though he did stumble upon two entire neighborhoods with a 90% participation rate. There, he could slowly drive around and admire or criticize at will and at his pace, because everyone was driving slowly through the neighborhood.

When he got home, he knew what he needed to do and it wouldn’t cost him a single cent because he had the lights and equipment tucked away in the garage for such a time as this.

It was 30 degrees outside with a dusting of snow on the ground, so he decided to sort out the lights in the comfort of the heated house before he put them up.

The project could have waited until the morning, but he was anxious to get it up. He pulled the 10-foot ladder out of the garage and brought it to the front of the house. For the next two hours, he climbed, tacked, strung, tacked, and connected.

When he finally got to see it just the way he wanted it, flipped the switch to light it.

For the first time in seven years, his was the picture perfect scene.

Jason didn’t put up the all-white lighting to participate in any neighborhood brinkmanship, but to realize that even the simplest of lighting can be impressive. 

He stood away from the house and admired its simplicity. The entire outline of the home was lit with white lights. No bush or tree lights. No Santa Clauses. No giant candy canes or lights projected onto the house.

Nothing gaudy or obnoxious.

Simple white lights outlining the house.

Perfect.

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