Linda Hall: Spread cheer with kindness

Ian Emmerson won Hawke's Bay Today's Person of the Year

On Saturday Hawke's Bay Today announced the winner of its 2015 Person of the Year.

Ian Emmerson, the managing director of Emmerson's Transport, took out the title for his tireless charity work for the past 17 years.

Among many other things, Mr Emmerson, along with Sandy Walker, started the biennial Free Ride in a Truck Day, aka Trucking for Child Cancer.

I happened to be in Whakatu this year when the event was held and I was astonished by how many big, shiny trucks there were.

They were backed up for what seemed like miles. Horns were tooting, people were out on the street waving to them and there was an atmosphere of fun in the air. I was amazed.

All those drivers not only gave up their time to take children for a ride but they had obviously spent a lot of time getting their machines gleaming.

Well done, Mr Emmerson. The world would be a much sadder place if it weren't for people like you.

And I'm sure Mr Emmerson would agree with me that without people like the truck drivers, these events just wouldn't happen.

So, to all you volunteer people in our community, here's a big shout-out to you. Well done. Well done to the people who stand outside supermarkets collecting money for charities, well done to the people who man charity shops, well done to everyone who has helped someone in any way this year without expecting a thing in return.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and that someone spoils you.

After all, it is the season for it. It might be called the silly season (and for good reason) but it's also the season for giving.

That doesn't mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars. It really is the thought that counts.

I had a huge grin on my face after some homemade shortbread was delivered to me at work. It was from a member of one of our local Women's Institutes and it was delicious. I shared it with my colleagues, so I was rather popular that day.

Then on Saturday one of my neighbours dropped in some shortbread and coconut ice. Yummy.

The fact that they "thought" of me is really special.

If you are anything like me, your "thoughts" at the moment are all over the place as Christmas Day looms.

I can't wait, actually. Love watching my little people open their presents. Love sharing the day with my family. Love Christmas.

However, there are a couple of things I don't like about it and one of those is trying to find a park.

On Saturday I went to New World and drove through the carpark three times trying to find a park. There were a couple of spaces but cars had parked over the white lines and I wasn't willing to try to squeeze into the tiny gap left. Especially with my new car.

Yes I finally have a new car. Well it's not new-new, but it's new to me. I think I'm in heaven when I'm driving it. It actually has air-conditioning and a radio that works, unlike my previous one. So I'm a wee bit paranoid about parking it in tight spaces.

In the end, I drove around the block and found a park. Lucky I was only going to the supermarket for a few things.

Trying to find a park anywhere in our twin cities this week is going to be tough but that's part and parcel of the silly season, so try to grin and bear it.

After all, "Tis the season to be jolly - fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la".

Have a Merry Christmas.

-Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.