Is Christmas Caroling a thing of the past?

(Cindy's Blog about Portland Real Estate & Stuff)

 Back when I was a young girl growing up on the east coast, I can remember hopping onto the back of a trailor like we were going on a hayride, but instead the church would drive us to neighborhoods where we would then go door to door Christmas caroling.

Those Long Island winters were nippy, and we had to dress very warm, but when I wasn't with the church group, my friends and I would all get together and go up and down the street doing this.

Those were the days where more often than not we were invited in for some warm cookies and cider...I mean, who today would have these items on hand? Those were the days that you knew your neighbors and they were trusted not to feed you bad poisenous  razor blade filled food, when they trusted the neighborhood kids not to rob them but opened the door freely enjoying our heart felt songs.

Oh the days of walking the streets with the scent of wood burning out of the chimneys, the ease of which we all just sang without though of embarrassment or worrying about carrying a tune. We sung for the fun of it, sung to our hearts content, loud and proud. My friends and I would go to the nursing homes and sing there as well. Just watching the sheer delight on the faces, often soft tears (thinking they were of joy) would push us on more.

I have not heard carolers coming around anymore. Instead, they are at the shopping centers, old town tree lightings, and yes, nursing homes still. Do they go door to door anymore? If you heard a knock on your door today...would you open it freely and listen to carolers..or would you feel like a dork standing there?

I just received an invitation to go caroling..not sure if it's even politically correct to call it Christmas caroling...now just caroling. I have volunteered a couple of times for the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program in West Linn, Oregon which helps those older neighbors with much needed yardwork. The City of West Linn is spearheading a caroling, visiting and dropping of of cookies/fruit and such to these same folks.

Will I be able to get over my older person hangups of embarrassment, and not being able to carry a tune? Why is it that many of us lose that free spirit as we get older?  Maybe this is my year to sing with abandon again! (Outside of the shower that is).