holidays bring out the best in people

or do they? I could blab on and on about the fowl mood most people (myself included more often than I'd like to admit) seem to be in when it comes to holiday shopping, public buildings putting up the politically correct decorations (or not), not to mention the impending extra couple lbs we are doomed to put on cuz of the extra cookies that we all eat and know we shouldn't while we encourage others to indulge...

then that would defeat the purpose wouldn't it? Do you think Walmart or Amazon or any other retail store should have anything to do with the holidays? I don't. I think it epitomizes what's wrong with America. We have more garbage than we know what to do with and that's just in our house! Christmas rolls around and we all run around grabbing more stuff for one another that "normally we wouldn't buy for ourselves." It is nice to give, it is nice to receive. But do we really need all of it? We grow up getting mostly everything on our list. As adults we strive to get everything on our list. Good to have goals, bad to have greed.

How hard is it to say no gifts? No bs. Why is it so hard for people to be honest with one another? Adults anyway. It just seems wasteful considering all the unused ties, bad perfumes, and scented lotion sets stashed under every bathroom sink in the name of "you gotta give something." Kids I can understand to a degree. I was spoiled I get it. I loved opening gift after gift ALL FOR ME. What's the lesson? More is more. Sooner or later it ends and you enjoy what you got. I wonder if I ever truly played with every toy I was given. hmmm anyway can't solve the world's (or America's) problems.

Guess that's the ultimate issue. how can one person make a difference. I think we all fundamentally feel this way. I feel like America is like the 50 year old chain-smoking McDonald junkie that lives (and dies) by the mantra, "Fuck it, I'm gonna die anyway!" The holidays just super-sizes the problem. Somehow it is a big traditional burden passed down yearly like a fruit cake that year after year gets bigger and heavier and even more obnoxious. The worst part is the Christmas aisles are put in place in stores the day after Halloween - sometimes sooner! Shoot me now!

All for what? several days to hang out with the family. What did you get last year for Christmas? I don't remember what I got. I do remember what I did. I spent part of Christmas Eve with my best friend from college and Christmas Eve and Day with my wonderful husband and dear sister together missing our family back home in Chicago. The gift was that we had each other and could call and get pictures. Cheesy but true. This year we are flying home rather than calling and get to hug instead of miss. Do you think I'll have to check my fruit cake?