Sometimes in December, the Right Light Bulb Goes On So I Can See

I abhor cold, dark weather, so the month of December is challenging for me. It’s chilly in the mornings, which arrive in darkness, then cold and cloudy all day, and when I drive home from work it is cold and dark, too. December always seems dark and cold to me, and I just hate it.

Last year, I decided to do something about December. I know I can’t control the cold, except with the thermostat, but I could find better options for lighting in my house that would make it seem brighter and warmer. After hours on Google, I found what I thought was the best idea ever — lights so bright that I would think I was in the Caribbean on a hot summer day.

He didn't know the package he was holding had the solution to my problems inside.

So I ordered as many as I could, and when they arrived I greeted the delivery driver with a huge smile and hugged him. He looked at me like I was nuts and said, “What is your problem, lady? Can’t you see it’s cold and dark and sleeting outside?” He didn’t know the package he was holding had the solution to both of our problems inside, so I gave him a pass and hugged him again.

I quickly opened the box, eager to install the bright cheer that would save me from hours of depression and gloominess. Maybe too quickly — I got a few paper cuts, because there was so much tape, but the blood running down my hand didn’t deter me one bit. My sanity was inside, and nothing was going to stop me from putting in those light bulbs!

Suddenly, I was bathed in the whitest, brightest light I’ve known, and my world seemed at peace again.

I started in the kitchen. One by one, I unscrewed each existing bulb and replaced it with the new, brighter bulbs. One, two, three were in, and then I was up to six, seven, and then finally I was done. I counted 22 new light bulbs installed. I ran to the light switch and turned them all on.

Suddenly, I was bathed in the whitest, brightest light I’ve known, and my world seemed at peace again. But then I noticed something else: They were so bright my entire kitchen looked like an operating room. And then I saw the blood running down my hand in a new light and I passed out. I was only out a minute or two, and when I woke up it was so bright I could easily find the box of Band-Aids, so that was good. After applying a half-dozen, the bleeding stopped.

Then I learned another, more important lesson about December.

Then I realized something worse: it was way too bright. I couldn’t even look up to the ceiling without being blinded. I tried wearing my old ball cap, but it made my head sweat. Wearing sunglasses worked, but once I left the kitchen I couldn’t see a thing and I kept stepping on the cat. And then the nasty old thing scratched my leg, and I had to find more Band-Aids. So, eventually, though I kept some of the bright bulbs, I put most of the old ones back.

But I learned another, more important lesson about December, too. It happened a few days later while I was driving home from work on a dark, blustery evening. I stopped at a traffic light and spotted an old man lying against a brick building with a tattered blanket around him and shoes so old and beat up they barely covered his feet. When I looked at him, I realized something about myself. He was outside, in the cold and dark, with nowhere to go, while I was sitting in my warm car, on my way to a place full of food, love and light. When I got home, my house with its ordinary light bulbs seemed so bright that it felt like I was on a wonderful vacation somewhere special.

This month, let’s keep in mind that there are others out there without coats or food or a safe place to lay their heads at night. We are the lucky ones and we have so much. Please donate what you can to shelters or to one of the hundreds of nonprofits in our local area. Feed the homeless, support the missions, do what you can. Who knows, maybe your gift, large or small, will become the light that someone needs to make their December — and possibly their life — seem brighter and warmer, and that’s huge.

Judith E. (“Judy”) Antisdel is Founder and President of AT Direct in Baltimore, Md. She has earned professional designations ranging from US Postal Service Non Profit Specialist to US Postal Service Mail Manager. She is a frequent guest speaker at symposia and workshops offered by the federal government and various non-profit organizations. Connect with Judy on LinkedIn, hire her to speak to your company and customers, and find more info at her website.

Things you'll find at AT Direct Mail Marketing: "direct marketing" "direct mail" "direct response marketing" "direct response" "response marketing" "direct response ad" "direct response advertising" "mailing campaign" "mailer marketing" "direct response media" "direct response ads" "what is direct response" "direct marketing agency" "direct response copywriting" "direct marketers" "direct marketing firm" "direct marketing channel" "campaign direct mail" "direct mail solicitation”