Dreaded Deadlines

It doesn't feel like Christmas. I'm not looking forward to decorating for the holiday although the family has announced we have to decorate (they're soooo dramatic haahaa). As I contemplated why I'm fighting the season it occurred to me that I'm fighting against the long cold months of hibernation. That the end of the year means I have to start a new year...again. Christmas just reminds me of that fact. But I started wondering if there's more to it considering this "grinch" feeling started before Thanksgiving when I went to the store. And I heard the rusty wheels in my mind begin to turn.

We are such a deadline driven society. It's like we (or the media, government, educational institutions, etc etc) train ourselves (us) to look to the distant future. We are hardly allowed to enjoy the now; this moment before us. Soon we'll have "Prepare for your retirement!" commercials on Sesame Street, was I being bombarded with Black Friday deals at the end of October? And I know I'll be seeing easter baskets in January. All good reminders but when it drowns out everything about the present, about the true meaning of what's before us, well....it makes me cranky. (Haa haa!)

Don't get me wrong, I know deadlines are a necessary evil so that we have something to strive towards. Egads imagine the turmoil caused in businesses without deadlines! But there's a time and place. It seems we've gone overboard. We've trained ourselves in this linear thinking of 'climb the ladder', get ready before it's too late, bigger and better, more and more, it'll be better...then; all while we face and prepare for the distant horizon. But what about now? In reality, most of the time it's not so bad now. While it's good to have something to strive towards, we should also be aware of the now. We'll see that the path there may not be so linear. That sometimes we'll find another route that proves to be far more interesting than the linear one. And that real life isn't measured in twelve month increments. It doesn't start over at the end of the season. It continues....

So yep, I'll decorate for Christmas because I want to and not because some commercial told me to. I'll surround myself with just enough that will remind me of the true symbolism of this holiday. And find comfort in knowing that underneath all the 'black Fridays' and 'cyber Mondays' that this is the one time of the year people are extra nice to others. I'll throw out the anchor and enjoy the moment while the others rush around for the next deal or to get to the next holiday. I'm quite enjoying the view from here as I twirl along my merry path to a deadline yet unknown.