Saturday, December 02, 2006

Save me!

No sooner had I departed the Internet and put down my headphones as a CD finished playing than I heard a sound thundering through the none-too-solid walls of my pad. I recognized it instantly.

Bing Crosby. Singing "White Christmas."

White-freekin'-Christmas.

On December First.

I don't know whether some misbegotten TV network is jumping right into the alleged "spirit of the season" or my neighbors have a DVD of the movie. And I don't care.

It's too early.

I've seen lights in front of some houses, know people have already put up their trees and are sending out cards, buying gifts, and getting all warm and fuzzy about something that is still 24 days away.

Gimme a break.

You might be getting set for a white Christmas and all the good stuff that surrounds it, but I'm not. I don't want to hear the songs, see the decorations, be bombarded with the advertising.

I know what my Christmas will be like, and it has nothing to do with all that heartwarming stuff you see in "White Christmas," "Holiday Inn," "It's a Wonderful Life," and all the rest of the movies full of happy, optimistic people singing Christmas carols and exchanging gifts in front of some bigass tree.

Mine has never been like that, and is less so with each passing year.

I can dig Mel Torme's "Christmas Song." It's got a great, great melody, and if he'd hung lyrics about about Valentine's Day on it, it would have been just as cool. I can listen to that over and over.

But hearing "Bingu Kurusubi" (as he was known in postwar Japan) singing about some damn white Christmas -- just like the ones he used to know, but I never have known -- doesn't cut it for me.

I fervently hope I'm alone in reacting this way. I'd love to see everyone else being inundated with love, gifts and gallon jugs of home-made (and well-spiked) eggnog. I hope the treetops glisten, and children listen to hear sleighbells in the snow. Especially the kids; I want nothing more than to think that every child who's hoping for a well-filled stocking and digs the idea of the season will come away enchanted and happy.

The way this is going, I'd better start looking for a cave to hide in until, say, January 5th.

If I were to end up on that bridge over the icy river while everyone else is home indulging in Christmas Cheer, you can bet everything you have on there being no damn angel to keep me from going for that chilly Last Swim.

Am I bitter? Count on it, Jim.

I've always loved giving better than receiving. But I have yet to get comfortable with the notion of having what I want and need taken away. And this season does nothing but remind me of how much has been given and then coldly yanked away during the last year.

Ignore me. I'll be back to normal eventually. Some time after the 25th.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hate egg nog-ick. Up here , people had their outside lights done at Thanksgiving. That's the way it is up here in the north.

Dorrie said...

it used to be that the first Sunday of Advent started the season... not this year..they started a week EARLIER! Normally that's a big no-no!

I'm with you, it's much too early!!

Anonymous said...

This is the most depressing time of the year for me. It didn't used to be. I don't know what happened..I love the music and decorations but I always feel lonely..:(

John0 Juanderlust said...

Lots of people get bummed out by it.
This year I don't care one way or the other. I did but now i don't.
Some places jump right from Halloween to Christmas.

Anonymous said...

I understand the feeling, Scribbs. I have one Christmas decoration...a beat up old mug that says "Bah humbug". I wish I wasn't this way, and I love seeing the happy, excited kids, but I just look forward to it all being over with. Oh well, like it or not it's here, so just switch over to autopilot and keep plugging away. If you get too overwhelmed stop by my place and we'll find us some of that spiked egg nog. :)

Anonymous said...

Come over the pond and join us Mr Scribs you would be most welcome!

SAREJESS said...

The true sprit of Christmas seems to have been forgotton in the mad rush to comercilize every thing.

John0 Juanderlust said...

They are playing nothing but Elvis at the grocery store check out. Promoting Elvis coffee. An E impersonator is running around in a red glitter suit. He looked hostile.
Some people seem to have the right spirit in that store. Very nice. That part of the season I like.

MrScribbler said...

Elvis coffee??? Does it come in a blue suede can?

I'm surprised you didn't get a video of this...it would have been priceless!

Doug said...

Christmas music should be played on Christmas eve, and then banished for the rest of the year by noon on Christmas day. The radio station we listened to when I was a lad did exactly that. At 12:01 PM, it was regular programming.

Retailers seem to want to start the Christmas buying season earlier every year.

Anonymous said...

The worst thing I ever saw was when they used to have that department store called "Buffums" up in PV. I went in there one LABOR DAY (sometime back in the '80's), and they had their Christmas crap out already. Bah. Humbug.