It is again that time of year when retailers begin selling 2 seasons away. What? Christmas shoppe already?? Yup. And I fear it will become earlier and earlier until the eventual decision to not take it down at all. The world is a mess right now. We have a dysfunctional Congress, an unpopular President, high cost of fuel, runaway inflation ad nauseum...and people that need 4 months to buy the unnecessary stuff that retailers are telling our kids that they need. It is ridiculous. Halloween is not even upon us yet, almost 2 weeks out, and already we have Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and Halloween retailing. Why? When did "Christmas" become the time for retailers to recoup their losses all year? I remember as a kid the smell of pumpkin and the leaves as they fell from the trees in October. Never did I see Christmas anything until the week before Thanksgiving. Christmas was not about how much in debt you could get your parents in order to compete with the Joneses next door. It was about taking the time to think of what someone likes or dislikes and choosing a token gift (either making it or buying it) to let them know you think of them. The best Christmas I can ever remember was the year I got my see-n-say. I was about 5 or so and saw the commercials on Saturday (cartoon day for those too young to remember) and really wanted one. I never asked, but always when the commercial came on, my eyes lit up and my parents noticed. I didn't ever get tons of gifts, but usually got a toy and some clothes, but I was always happy. That Christmas when I opened up that see-n-say, I cried tears of joy because at that moment in time, there was nothing I wanted or needed to complete my happiness. Another year, my mom sewed Christmas. She and her best friend, literally decorated our plastic tree with homemade decorations that were sewn from used cloth. Our gifts that year were very simple. The boys got octopi and the girls got dolls. That was it. There was no money for the latest Atari or new bikes. The fact that mom went out of her way to make these things meant the world to me. Kids can be cruel though.
My mom always loved Christmas time. To her it was a time of family and love and cheer. For me it was a time of torment. Other kids in the school showing off all of the nifty things they got while all I had was an octopus. The other kids noticed that we had nothing and usually made fun of us poor kids. In my mind, it only cemented the idea that Christmas would never be to me what it was to most kids. I revel in the idea of neat personalized gifts that are tokens of my love or feelings for the person. I refuse to spend thousands of dollars to buy things for people I really don't like based on a calendar date. Instead, I will make something or share something with the people that mean something to me. They will know that the gift I give is from my heart and that I really thought about them. My gift will have sentimental value where others might have monetary value. Am I cheap? No, I am not. Give me a pretty leaf that made you think of me or share a digital picture of that time we did whatever...those things have substance and will last forever whereas these expensive cheaply made trinkets will not last the year. I think everyone needs to watch the Grinch this year and remember what the season is really about. It is about family and friends sharing their time here on earth, making memories, and sharing memories of those passed. So know that if you are my friend, you will likely not get anything more than a wish for happiness and prosperity, but know that the sentiment comes from my heart and not my wallet.
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