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Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in The Weekly Choice on November 18, 2004.
Right off the bat, I think that it’s only fair that I let you in on a little secret – I tend to be somewhat of a procrastinator from time to time…and by “I tend to be,” you might as well read that as “I am always, without a doubt” and so on and so forth. You see, I was going to get right on that just as soon as this rerun of The Simpsons that I’ve seen thirty-five times was over, but then I remembered that I hadn’t checked my e-mail in, oh say, twenty minutes, and you know as well as I do – once you log onto that Internet, forget about it!
Yes, it would be more than safe to say that one of my favorite sayings is “There’s no time like the present for putting off what you ought to be doing…” but it is vitally important to note that I do make but one exception to this rule and that particular exception is right around the corner. No, no – I don’t mean Boxing Day…although I do need to remember to get the ring set back up in the basement…but what I’m actually referring to – of course – is that fabled, winter wonderland known only as Christmas! I love just about everything that has to do with Christmas, from the decorating to the baking to the wrapping of the presents – nothing makes me happier…well, except for the bulk of the preparations, that is…
And when it all comes down to it, it’s the people, really – no offense to any of our readers out there – of course you’re not the types of folks that are out there to dampen my holiday spirit! The ones that I’m just a little bit more concerned about are those who panic during this time of year, rushing around with only a few weeks to go before the big day, dashing from store to store without the slightest glimpse of cheer for those who cross their path along the way – there ain’t a whole lot of merry going on when you’re racing against the clock, that’s for sure! People begin to argue over parking spots, fist-fights break out over who gets the very last Heckle Me Charlie doll on the shelf, and even the smiling little elves on the other side of that checkout counter can’t help but mutter Bah Humbug under their breath as the ungrateful shopper romps through her line, cell phone in one hand and ornery child in the other, demanding to know why there aren’t more registers open during the busy season – what’s not to love about this kind of chaos, really?!
It is because of these events that recur year after jolly year that I come to you on this day, my friends, some thirty-five days before the Eve of Christmas, with a single, hopeful plea for you this holiday season – for the love of Santa and all of his reindeer, get it done early this year!!! All of the shopping for gifts and candies and decorations and baked wonderments – get that stuff out of the way while you still have time to breathe; the decorating and the gift wrapping and the donations to all of your favorite charities – there’s no time like the present for taking care of your presents; the decisions as to who will go where on what day and in what dress – plan ahead and you’ll thank me later…
You see – what it’s really all about is leaving yourself time to enjoy the holidays while they’re actually here – how can you take part in the traditional lighting of the family tree if you’re stuck standing in line for more pumpkin extract?! That’s the kind of stuff that should have been taken care of long ago, but the month is still young and you’ve got plenty of time to get yourselves back in the driver’s seat and at the top of your game! Just one week from now, your favorite retailers from here to New Brunswick will be packed from wall to wall with bargain hunters searching for the best buys this year, so unless you’re utterly gung-ho about rising from your turkey-induced sleep at 4:00 AM next Friday to push and shove your way to the sales, why not shell out a few extra bucks now and get all of that craziness out of the way? Same goes for decorating – you could freeze now and get the lights up and working, or you could wait a little longer and possibly really freeze during the process – the choice is yours!
Carpe festivum - seize the holiday…or you could just spend it waiting in line like everyone else – the choice is yours!
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