The Jump on the Season

DIH is getting the jump on the Christmas season.

[Understand that when I say "the Christmas season" I also mean Hanukkah. But not Kwanzaa. Don't waste my time with Kwanzaa.]

I have hauled decorations out of the attic, sized up the ornament situation. Haven't sized up the lights situation yet. That takes a lot more fortitude than ornaments.

The reason for this, of course, is the amygdala.

At least I think I mean the amygdala. A therapist friend once told me there's a part of your brain that stores emotional reactions from childhood, or something like that. I think it's the amygdala. Anyway mine is chock full of memories of my father trying to deal with Christmas lights. It's not a pretty picture. You know that "fight or flight" impluse we're all supposed to have? Mine is permanently set at "flight" where Christmas lights are concerned.

My amygdala aside, I have also reviewed the Christmas music situation. The music situation looks good. I have tons of Christmas music. More than any decent person should have, really. I mean, come on, Connie Francis? And do I really need two renditions of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"? I should probably clear some of that stuff out.

As we all know, getting ready for the holidays early is a sign of virtue and wisdom. So you get your work started and you feel pretty virtuous and wise.

And then some jerk comes along as says "It isn't the Christmas season yet. It's the Advent season." WIth a little sniff or something.
And then you can just kiss your virtue goodbye, because there's no other way to deal with such people except with a very direct response. "Bite me" is a good one. Gets the point across, unless they're unusually dense.

I used to be one of those people who was horrified by the sight of Christmas things in the stores before Thanksgiving. Then I grew up and became the person in charge of all the Christmas stuff for my family- decorating, cards, travel, shopping, etc. Now I see Christmas gear in the stores early and I think "oh thank God, I've got to find a neon palm tree right away" and I get down to business.

And anybody who thinks that is out of step with the calendar of the Church season, I have two responses for you:

1. You're right. Advent comes first. Advent is crucial if we are to be truly ready for Jesus's birth. No Promised Land without wandering in the desert for forty years and all that.

2. I have ten years' worth of work to do in four weeks. Bite me.