The Holidays

This has been an odd holiday season - not quite as busy in my line of work as I'd like to be, as we'd like to be, but you take the good with the bad. The older I get on this journey, the more I dislike the mass marketing barrage that takes place in stores, and thanks to the advancements in technology, in my inbox. Why aren't the people who ring the bells on behalf of the Salvation Army, standing out front of stores all year long? To me, those in need don't have a busy season.

I hate being in stores for anything this time of the year. I hate the crap that's coming via email to influence my decisions to buy. All I want from the holidays is to get to see people that I don't see much of anymore - whether they're family or friends. That gets harder to do with each passing year, and harder to accept.

None of this is enhanced by the world of retail, and even less from the emails I get on a daily basis. While I don't want to mention Bed Bath & Beyond's name, every other day I get an email with either a 20% off coupon, or a reminder that the one I got an hour ago is still waiting. Here's a heads up Bed Bath & Beyond top brass: Send me an email that says I can add up the shit ton of 20% off offers you keep sending me in no less than two mediums for 100% off of any one item I choose - because then I guarantee you, my buying decision will be influenced. I'll get in my car and drive to the nearest Bed Bath & Beyond store faster than you can email me another 20% offer - oh wait, that's impossible...

The holidays will come and go in a blur, and like always, I'll think back to the days I was a kid in school and we got two weeks off of school. Those were the best holiday seasons of my life, because they were filled with family and even though my memories of those times is a bit foggy as an adult, I can't think of anything but wonderful time spent around family at Christmas time. As an adult, I drive away from Christmas dinner with my family, everyone heading off in different directions, and I'm a little sad that it's over and tomorrow it's right back to the grind. It's never gonna happen, but I really wish that as an adult I could stretch out two weeks of being off work, no obligations but to make the time to spend with the people who matter. Then my alarm clock goes off and the reality of so many people who matter to me being spread out all over the country and mostly just getting to share a kind thought on the blue and white sets in.

I tend to think that the real excitement of Christmas is for children. As an adult, I love the memories I have of holiday seasons as a child - but now I've come to treasure moments of appreciating the people who make my journey as wonderful as it is. The longer my journey continues, the more I see the importance of carrying that with me throughout the year. This holiday season is filled with difficulty for some I know - people facing uncertainty of illness, some marking anniversary with heartbreaking loss that I can't even fathom, and some other things that aren't welcome any time of the year. So this holiday season, I'll wish health and happiness for all - and peace. We're all in this together. Happy holidays.