Holiday Warning

Hello friends and family and happy Monday. In the spirit of optimism as we head into the onslaught of the holiday season I would like to offer a few positive suggestions to help you all handle what is coming and to deflect all those things that wreck your mood and threaten your sanity.

First let us deal with the ever earlier creeping of the holidays. Valentine’s Day selling and promotions now start in December. Easter stuff is on the shelves by New Year’s Day. Fourth of July begins on Good Friday. Labor Day sales start the day after Memorial Day. Halloween candy and costumes hit the shelves on June 3^rd. Thanksgiving turkey sales begin around July 4^th. Christmas sales start three days after that. Who drives these seasonal encroachments? The quick answer is retailers. But retailers aren’t the real problem. The real problem is consumers. If, when a bunch of retailers try moving the holiday ball down the field before the play starts, and consumers not only allow the moves but approve of them by buying a bunch of advertised junk, then the retailers will try another move. And if the consumers bite again the cycle will go on and on.

Personally I haven’t bought presents, wrapping paper and stuff for Christmas of 2012 yet. That’s not on my schedule until 2016. I’m a consumer. I have that kind of power. And you do too. So quit buying early. The retailers will stop pushing so hard and the holidays will return to their proper places on the calendar.

Now let’s listen (or read) while I tell you about this so called war on Christmas, or war on religion. Ignore such media hype. Go to the church of your choice. Sing hymns, say prayers. No one is stopping you. Would you like to attend a mosque or synagogue? Head on out and do it. This is still America. I repeat, no one will stop you. Do you live in a predominately Christian community where crèches and other symbols are present? Does it bother you? Get over it. Americans are allowed to display symbols of their religion in their homes and businesses. The Christians won’t object if someone of another faith hangs a holiday sign on their heathen porch. They know the rules. They may get all dressed up in dark suits and knock on your door and try to get you to see how cool their particular brand of belief is. But you’re free to politely tell them to go away. It’s America. We can choose this stuff. And we can choose to ignore it. Of course pushing religion into the arena of political decision making is a trickier problem. I’m for keeping it in the churches, mosques, synagogues, homes and even business places. If business people are not worried about losing business when they do too much proselytizing then that’s their right. We can shop at a different dollar store down the street.  So enough about this “war” business. We’ve got bigger things to worry about.

Which is why I’m worried about Thanksgiving Day shopping. Sure I’m all for personal choices as you’d know if you read the paragraph above. But shopping on Thanksgiving Day is just wrong and it should be avoided at all costs. Believe me friends, if you don’t buy that blender for Aunt Carol or that 82” big screen TV for your dear old dad at WalMart when it opens at six in the evening on Thanksgiving you won’t be missing out. I guarantee that those items will be available somewhere on Friday. You might have to pay a couple bucks more, but you will have spent a little more time with Aunt Carol and dad and they’ll appreciate that as much as those gifts. So stay home with your friends and family on Thanksgiving.

Okay. I’m done thinking about holiday stuff now and I’m going to slip back into my hermit mode. And keep the doggone Christmas music off. It’s too early. Now have a fine day.