no dis-assembly required

The talisman turkey of Thanksgiving is still far from the dining room table, but already the Christmas 'cheer' is beginning to appear. Lights and Santas and music and red bows are outside and in around here.

And, much as I dislike the retail feeding frenzy, I have pretty much learned not to fight it: Christmas is always "coming," right?

Toys fill the shelves and I thought idly the other day of the harried parents who might traverse the aisles looking for something to wrap and tape and put under the Christmas tree. How grateful might they be if they came across some toy or gadget that bore the label, "No Assembly Required."

Assembly is enough to take the joyful surprise out of Christmas, not least because the directions always seem to be written by some very bright student in the backwaters of Calcutta or anonymous industrial complex in China ... an English which does not translate well into instructive English.

"No Assembly Required" means there will be no impenetrable instructions to follow. Amen to that -- mom and dad can kick back, drink their coffee and let the kids have a good time all by themselves.

"No Assembly Required" -- ahhhhhh.

And by extension, I wonder if there might not be a label on the package referred to as "this life" or "my life" ... another easer of confusion and frustration, another smoother of choppy waters. Here comes this life in a box marked, "No Dis-assembly Required."

How's that for a two-edged Christmas present?