A guest post by my good friend Barbie Rodriguez —
Good grief! Halloween is not even close and they are already putting Christmas merchandise out, REALLY? True, stores need to make money and yatta, yatta, yatta, but come on, isn’t this just a little heavy-handed? Not to mention, it really takes the joy and specialness out of that most special season. By the time the holidays actually roll around, we’ve been hearing tinny versions of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” way too long and you feel like drawing a bead on the next Rudolph that crosses your path. I know I am being idealistic here, but maybe, just maybe, if we concentrated on the MEANING of the season, instead of joining the present-hungry hordes who will engage in a VERY unladylike tug-of-war over a red plastic tablecloth because it’s on sale (yes, that is a TRUE story), it’d be a little nicer holiday all around? Bake cookies, feed the hungry, clothe the poor, by all means have an awesome Nochebuena capped off by Midnight Mass and then next day a big family gathering with lots of presents and a killer turkey dinner, but geez-o-pete, seeing Christmas stuff in September? Ugh! What’s next Easter Eggs right after New Year’s??? Just sayin’ …