Well, ladies and gentlemen, Halloween is officially over. Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away, and then Christmas just a month after that. With the most wonderful time of the year right around the corner, I took this week to start preparing.
On Saturday, Caroline and I went over to Jonesboro for a daddy/daughter day and to do some Christmas shopping for Ashley. It was such a great day, and I realized I don't think I've ever taken a day to head out, just Caroline and Daddy, tearing up the town.
OK, so there really wasn't much tearing up of anything, but it was still a great day. I mean, any day that ends with a trip to Jimmy John's is top-notch in my book.
Despite all the fun I had, the awesome service I got at Starbucks (I think a guy with a baby gets special treatment or something), and the incredible sandwich, my main objective was to start buying Ashley's Christmas gifts. While some of you might think it's a little early for Christmas shopping, this might actually be the latest I've ever started my shopping. We usually start in September. The idea is the earlier we start the less money we have to spend all at once -- which always works well for us.
I had actually been out for a while before I noticed that pretty much every store had Christmas decorations out and holiday tunes playing. In fact I didn't notice it until some started complaining about it. And there it was, the inevitable it's-not-even-Thanksgiving-yet speech we'll all here for the next month.
Some of you might be the ones who make that speech. And that's fine, that's your prerogative. But this year, before you go around trying to harness the magic of Christmas to just the month of December, let me offer an alternate way of looking at these next several weeks.
First, let's look at it from a retail perspective. Most people put their Christmas tree up sometime between the day after Thanksgiving and the first week of December. Putting decorations out toward the end of October gives consumers plenty of time to replace old, broken ornaments and lights before they actually start decorating their homes and trees.
Also, I'm likely to spend more money on new decorations if I can spread it out over the course of several weeks -- the same principle I use when buying gifts.
Next, for people who go all-out decorating the inside and outside of their homes (raises hand), the earlier the decorations hit the shelf, the better they're able to plan their decorations for that year. I know for Ashley and me, we're looking at replacing almost all of our Christmas decorations because there are few things we have that aren't highly breakable. If things weren't put out until the end of November that'd be a huge chunk of money we'd have to spend all at once.
Finally, and this one is the most important one, Christmas is a season of great joy and happiness. It's about generosity and the magic of the myth that surrounds the holiday. It's about family and friends and crisp cool air and yes, even presents.
The truth is, that can be hard to just "turn on." Sometimes it takes several weeks of being inundated with Christmas carols and snowmen and and the smell of cookies baking and peppermint mocha creamer in the refrigerator to break through that tough shell we tend to put on the rest of the year.
Christmas is what some people live for. For some of us, the thought that once Halloween is over it's time to start looking forward to Christmas, seeing the decorations and hearing Bing on the radio, well, that's what makes the rest of the year bearable.
So yeah, the last week of October may seem a little early. And yes, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But Christmas is so much more than just one day of the year. It's this special time of year when kith and kin come together to celebrate and to spread love and joy and hope and peace.
Next time you start to complain about how early the decorations have hit the shelf, take a moment and think about all that Christmas is. Think about all it means to people all over the city, the state, the country and the world. And allow me to be the first to wish you a merry Christmas and happy holidays.
cpinkard@blythevillecourier.com