I don’t
have that much china.
Plates,
cups, bowls and serving dishes are all from different eras and households and together they form the daily set we use.
Fifties memorabilia, a strange small plate with cowboys on them, plain
white ones from my grandmother, Chinese
ones: some are nice, some are not so nice.
Never mind,
we eat our dinner with all kinds. Everything is functional.
And then
there are my three Christmas plates. Special gifts for special days. Do I treat
them as such? No. They are in the stack with all the others. I figured, why set
them apart and use them only on special occasions? I can use them year round, every
day.
So there
you have it: no matter which season, I use the Christmas plates we have. I can
serve summer antipasti on them, Easter bakes, autumn roasts, and, of course,
seasonal cookies in December.
Sometimes
just seeing these Christmas plates makes me happy. Reminding me of winter days,
Holidays, seeing old friends and sharing time, watching old movies of trying
out new hikes.
OK, so here’s
the thought.
Think of these Christmas plates as if they were an event. A live event, only a few days a
year. Then think of them as an event community. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Having
actual items that remind you of something you like. Just like the community you
share thoughts and ideas in, before, during and after the event.
My plates present
themselves at random (depending
on the dishwasher and whoever empties it), but they never fail to remind me of
those few days in December. In February I don’t care so much about them, in the
summer they are interesting and funny, and when October and November come, I
get anxious for the next month: longing to see them in full swing, in season.
Never fails.
In short:
Keep your
event relevant year round
Accept the
fact that nobody keeps you on top of mind all the time
Surprise your delegates when they least expect it
Be there
when you are In Season – big time!
Make sure
that you have a basis that is functional
….and
share at least one item that we really can use year round. It works!
