Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming.
Those over-dramatic, whimsically social individuals with an abundance of access time on their hands have sprinkled their homes with lights and religious paraphernalia. Mind you, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet.
I seem to relish the thought that the holiday season is an entire month (longer for some) which truly brings out the worst in people. It escalades just before the holiday hits, angst toward our fellow man, a disregard for others feelings, and the pompous promenade of dollar amounts in place of genuine love or affection. It’s the time in a child’s life, when he/she learns to associate material possessions with how much their parents ’love’ them.
Ironically, the holiday season is one of religious connotation, though the meaning gets lost in the lies we tell our children. A celebration of key individuals in the belief structure of one’s perceived religion, be it a biblical birth, or eight nights of light, it gets traded in for a fat man in a red suit, who has a sweatshop fill of midgets and dwarfs, as well as magical flying reindeer. Hmm…
We try to teach our children proper lessons,
“Don’t talk to strangers”- but if a man shimmies down your chimney and offers you a package….. that’s another story. We spend so much money on shrinks and therapy trying to understand why our youth is so misdirected and confused, we’re the ones lying to them, we teach them that it’s okay to tell white lies from a very, very young age.
Christmas is coming.
It’s the one time of the year where being in a broken home can be construed as a ‘plus’. Coming from a divorced family, the holiday season was a battlefield for the ‘favor’ of the children. It really had nothing to do with us, most of the time, it was a battle between our parents as to who could out-do the other. We enjoyed multiple gifts, but the sheer exhaustion and emotional capacity overload left our mouths dry. Santa had no part. What they never seemed to understand is that children are not supposed to love one parent more than the other-trying to provoke such thoughts is one of the worst things you can do.
It’s also the one time of the year, when we all pretend to get along. We ice over the deep-seeded issues to feast and open gifts, but once the children are off to bed (or the Egg-Nog Special takes effect) it’s all out on the table. You need the time off from work and school to recover from the emotional exhaustion of the family gatherings.
Christmas is coming.
Black Friday is upon us. Even if I thought it were possible to prepare myself for the rush of potential buyers and the bountiful questions they’ll have to offer, I’ve come to the conclusion, I would merely be lying to myself. Black Friday is the most revered day in the Retail industry. Not even the cold winter morning can sway the mobs from standing outside the doors of local retail chains hours before opening, or prevent the overflow of people in the isles and over packed parking lots. It is, notoriously, the worst day of the year to be a cashier or sales representative. All positive thoughts will fall to ash and ember by the time you escape.
To top it all off, you can’t even use the facilities without being reminded of the holiday bloodbath outside the doors. Holiday music is everywhere, and it bears no mercy.
I hate to be so blatantly negative towards the holidays, I do enjoy the company of my friends and family. I have this great fear, however, that as the meaning of the holiday season gets further removed, there is only more room for anger, greed and disassociation among our fellow man. Lie to your children, illuminate your homes, sing a few carols and don’t forget to buy your families love-especially at Black Friday’s prices.
Okay, that was a bit harsh. I’m looking forward to my Christmas, with the people I love and care most about. It’s a month away, I’ll warm up to the idea a bit. What other choice do I have?