Scott Burroughs is the chief of the Port Aransas Police Department.
The worst part about the Christmas season is my annual battle with the circuit breakers and GFIC outlets. It is one of the perils of living on the coast. The caustic environment is not exactly conducive to decorating your home for the holidays. Between the wind, salt, and humidity, my poor lights don’t stand a chance.
At times it reminds me of the parable about the little boy trying to stop the leaking dike. He puts his finger in one hole only to have another leak appear just outside of his reach. The same holds true with the lights; it seems if the roof is lit, then the porch is out. If I can get the porch and roof lights working, then one strand, or a half a strand, around the garage will undoubtedly go out; and it’s always the one that is just out of reach without a ladder. Although it is a never-ending struggle, it is important to keep things in their proper perspective.
Sure battling the elements is a royal pain sometimes, but in the overall scheme of things it really is not a very big deal, especially when there are people in our community that have to live with real pain. We have neighbors that struggle with unemployment or under employment, life threatening disease, family violence, mental illness, alcoholism and drug abuse. There are individuals and families that live down the street that go to bed hungry or don’t have the means to provide decent coats and shoes for their children, let alone a Christmas tree and presents to go under it.
While we are getting our homes ready for the holidays, buying gifts for our friends and family, or socializing with our neighbors, let’s not forget the reason for the season. Christmas is supposed to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you believe that Christ was our savior, or a prophet, or if he even existed; let’s remember it began with his birth. While it’s not my place to preach to you; the Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to reflect on our individual blessings and to share those blessings with someone that may not be as fortunate as us or who might just be going through a rough patch.
As a cop, I learned a long time ago that we cannot change the world, but sometimes with very little effort, we can have a positive influence on a small portion of it. Christmas is only a couple of days away, but there is still time for many of us to make a real difference in someone else’s life. Let’s all try to find it in our hearts to bring some food to the food pantry, visit a sick friend, tip a sever a few extra bucks, invite a lonely neighbor to supper, or donate to a local charity.
The best part of Christmas is that everything we give can have a positive impact on someone else.
From all of the men and women of the Port Aransas Police Department we wish you and your families a very merry Christmas.
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