It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...on November 14!

Every single year, retailers, radio stations and people's homes hearald the upcoming Christmas season. And every single year, they start doing it earlier and earlier. I have already been in stores where this is the case and I have heard a couple of songs when I randomly was flipping stations (I normally don't listen to radio) and I have counted no less than six homes which already feature lights and other accessories of the season such as nutcrackers, snowflakes, snowmen, etc. I can't wait until this one person who lives near where I do put up his entire display as if someone had gotten sick and vomited an entire Christmas display on his lawn. You can't even see the lawn after he's through; every inch of grass is covered with some iconic symbol of the season. My question is, of course, why?

For retailers and radio stations, the motive is fairly obvoius. They want to start the Christmas buying season early so that their profits go up sooner and maintain until the end of the season. The radio stations then profit from all the on-air advertising that these retailers are buying up in droves and then helping it further by playing redundant Christmas music in the background. How many times, honestly, can a person listen to "12 Days of Christmas" without going nuts? Really?

But why do ordinary people, who own homes, have families, have jobs and their own lives start with it so early? Is it because they are working for these particular retailers or radio stations which can profit from the season? I doubt all of them are! Is it because they have been hopelessly brainwashed? Considering how stupid wer are as a nation (present company excluded, of course), I suppose that is a possibility. But how about this as a reason.

For a lot of people, not all, but a lot, Christmas brings out the best in them. It's true. People become less irritable, more compassionate, more willing to help their fellow man. In a nutshell, they become nicer people. Now, I will certainly grant that the Christmas season turns a lot of people into jerks (most of whom were probably jerks to begin with) especially when it comes to shopping. These are the people that will run you over just to get that last parking spot at the mall before the other guy or will cut in front of you in line or will actually spit on you if you get that last toy before they do. We've all seen this; it makes (most of) us sick to our stomachs. But, still, every year, a lot of people change and change for the better for that one month time period.

As boring and is schlocky as it might sound, I think a great many of us want a world where that is the case 24-7. Is it possible? I don't think so since we are generally going to be more consumed with self than others. And so, I believe that these people who decorate their homes this early are perhaps subconsciously telling hte world that the season is upon us to actually start acting with more kindness to our fellow human beings and that we should press for peace. And rather than wait until the day after Thanksgiving to start that, maybe we should begin sooner.

I don't know what the reason is. This is only a guess. Maybe it's just easier to believe that people are engaged in a race to try to get their stuff out earlier and beat their neighbors to the punch for whom has the better and more spectacular display. Whatever the reason, it's still to damned early! Take down your lights! Wait until after Thanksgiving! Is that really too much to ask?