Something that really (Ba Hum)bugs me

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On Thursday, November 1, I drove down to Poughkeepsie for a graduate fair at Marist College (which is about 4 1/2 hours from here - an hour-and-a-half outside NYC). On the way there, I could not believe it when I came across TWO radio stations playing continuous loops of Christmas music. ON NOVEMBER 1! The operators of those stations no doubt had a giant clock just ticking down the Halloween minutes until the hands reached midnight, and they could start their Christmas compilations that will now play, without stop, for the next month and 25 days. Do I sound a little out of my mind about this? Good! Because I am! It is just plain ridiculous.

I really cannot stand the way Christmas has gotten out of control. Still, I like all the warm and fuzzy stuff as much as the next person (spending time with family and friends, Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men and all that jazz), but I find the expectations and the costs associated with the holiday to be way out of control. I wish it could be an occasion when we spend time with the ones we love and give maybe one special present to those special people (something chosen with consideration and thought, and not just because it was part of the crazy-day-after-Thanksgiving-sale at Target) ~ a true token of our appreciation for their love and support throughout the year. And, of course, amid the shopping and party frenzy, I wish the celebration could become more of a reflection on what Christmas is really all about.

All the hype! All the drama! It's all a bit too much. It seems the older I get, the quicker it comes, and the fact that it's creeping into the calendar earlier and earlier each year is a bit disconcerting to me. Of course, I need to be careful that my opinions don't spoil the excitement for the kids and other Christmas enthusiasts...

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