Fa La La La La - The Sounds of the Season

Ho Ho Ho! It's that special time of year again.

♪♫  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas  ♪♫
Everywhere you go;
Take a look in the five and ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in every store
But the prettiest sight to see, is the holly that will be

♪♫  On your own front door. ♪♫

I can hear the distant sound of tinkling jingle bells - smell the mouthwatering aroma of gingerbread - anticipate the twinkling colorful lights adorning every other home on my block.

Of course, it wouldn't be the holiday season without the start of those incessant advertisements everywhere you look - beckoning, pleading, guilt inducing the unprepared gift giver into parting with their hard earned dollars.

And how about those holiday carols(of which we know every word) blaring over the airwaves on local radio and drifting into our subconscious at our local Walmart?

But you know what? Though I hear the grumbles from my family, friends, coworkers and the media that it's all too soon, it doesn't bother me one bit. I've never let commercialism dictate how my family and I celebrate the holidays and special occasions.

See, I don't like pressure. Or stress. And I won't be sucked in by the Madison Avenue advertisers who strive to use their Jedi mind tricks on the weak minded and influence their buying decisions. 

I will shop where and when I want. Purchase the items I want, and not the items they deem that I can't live without. I'll put up decorations when I feel the time is right (and keep them up year round if I so please, thank you very much). I'll watch the holiday shows and movies when I'm in the mood (thanks to DVD's I'm not dependent on the scheduling decisions of some yahoos in Hollywood). I'll listen to the holiday music when I'm in the mood via either my CD's at home or bopping along in my car with the radio turned up to 10.

Because of my resolve, I bet you think I'm not a Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopper. And you'd be right! I look for bargains and shop year round. But mostly I'd rather bestow memories or provide help year-round than another meaningless chotzke, like - movie, show or sports tickets - trips such as ski weekends with our children - dates with friends - pay someone's bills (like the year I had my parent's oil tank filled) - adopting a needy family - donating to a worthy cause - newspaper and/or magazine subscriptions - giving a photo album full of cherished photos.

How about you? What's your take on this time of year and all the hoopla associated with it?