What a Curmudgeon!

Finally the "Holiday Season" is almost over and I'll be able to get back to somewhat of a routine. I'll be able to work regular hours and not have to telecommute or try to fit work around the MLS-west office being closed.

I'll be able to attend the senior exercise class and not have to cancel because the Senior Center needs the time and room to set up for the annual holiday party. I'll be able to go to the supermarket and buy ordinary things like toilet paper or eggs and not have to circle the parking lot looking for a parking space. The traffic is horrible and everyone's nerves are on edge.

I won't be subjected to all that schmaltzy Christmas music. UGH!

The one thing I really like about this time of year are all of the lights. The houses are lit up (sometimes a bit overdone, but ...), the trees have lights and I even have a few strings of mini-lights around windows and doors which I plug in every evening. That's so cheerful.

As for gift-giving, I give gifts when I see something I think someone else would like. Remember "Peace on Earth, good will toward men"? I try to be kind, considerate and thoughtful all year long. Unfortunately, the "Holiday Season" sometimes brings out the worst in me. I'm so glad it's almost over.

Bah, Humbug

I'm not a religious person. I hate the crass commercialism of any holiday. I don't have children and therefore don't (and never did) have to perpetuate the story of Santa Claus. I especially don't like trying to live a normal life - shop for food, have my hair cut, run other mundane errands - only to face incredible amounts of traffic on the city streets.

What I really hate most about Christmas - that season of "peace on earth and goodwill toward men" - is how frazzled and short tempered so many people become. While trying to navigate all that traffic, many drivers cut in front of other cars, lean on their horns, and generally become obnoxious.

However, there are a few things I like about the holiday season. I love the lights. I love driving down the street and seeing trees lit up. And one of the few concessions I make - that many others have abandoned - is writing personal notes in Christmas cards and sending them to people I seldom see. I don't want to lose touch with people I worked closely with 20 or 30 years ago. Many of them have moved far away but I still think of them. Facebook and other online connections are not the same as sitting down with a cheerful card and telling a friend (briefly) what I've been doing for the last year and wishing her or him well.

Now that we have entered the new year and the manic celebrations are over I can get back to my mundane routines and shop for food without fighting frantic crowds.

But I will miss the lights.