It’s that time of year again, folks—when the East Brunswick Christmas tree graces our town with its presence, sparking debates more heated than a Black Friday fight over a toaster. This year, the tree has been dubbed by some as “straight out of a Hallmark movie,” but let’s pump the brakes on the holiday cheer for a second.
A Tale of Two Trees: Top-Notch or Bottomed Out?
At first glance, the tree starts off strong. The lights on the top third are perfectly placed, radiating a kind of Rockefeller Center ambition. But as your eyes travel downward, the magic fades faster than the middle school band’s rendition of “Jingle Bells.” The lower two-thirds of the tree look like they were decorated by someone using an “abstract art” Pinterest board as a guide. The lights are sporadic, the garland is rebellious, and one rogue ornament seems to be dangling on for dear life.
Yet, here we are, with proud residents posting on Facebook, calling it “a stunning Hallmark moment.” Stunning, yes—but perhaps not in the way they intended.
The Hallmark Delusion: Schools Edition
But let’s not stop at the tree. This is East Brunswick, after all, where pretending everything is perfect is practically a competitive sport. Remember when people assured us how amazing the school system is? “Top-tier education,” they said. “Best programs in the state,” they proclaimed. Then, surprise! A $12 million budget shortfall later, we’re cutting arts programs faster than Santa eats cookies, while the sports programs for 7th and 8th grade remain untouched. Who needs music and languages when you can tackle someone, am I right?
The parallels between the tree and our schools are too rich to ignore. Just like the Christmas tree, the school system has a shiny, polished surface that people love to praise—but look a little closer, and the cracks in the foundation are impossible to miss. It’s not a Hallmark movie, folks. It’s more like a dark indie film that nobody wants to admit they’ve seen.
Why Do We Do This?
Why are we so eager to slap a Hallmark label on everything? Maybe it’s because pretending is easier than admitting there’s work to be done. It’s easier to post a glowing review of the tree on Facebook than to suggest someone bring a ladder and redo the lights. It’s easier to say the schools are “still great” than to acknowledge that cuts to the arts and foreign languages might be hurting our kids in the long run.
Let’s Aim Higher Than Hallmark
Here’s an idea: instead of convincing ourselves everything is perfect, why not demand better? Let’s decorate the bottom of the tree with the same care as the top. Let’s restore balance to our school budget so every kid gets the resources they need. Let’s stop settling for “good enough” and start striving for greatness.
After all, even Hallmark movies have a moment when everything goes wrong—but they always fix it by the end. Let’s aim for that kind of resolution. In the meantime, someone grab a strand of lights and meet me at the tree.
