Merry Hallowthanksmas!

Phew.... the election is over.

• I won't be accosted with political advertisements on all forms of media.
• My Facebook friends won't be going back and forth about the merits or shortcomings of one candidate over another.
• I won't be besieged with political telephone calls.
• My mailbox won't be filled with pleas for money from political factions.

For me, the problem is that the election process just goes on far too long. It is impossible to maintain a high level of excitement for anything over time. The singularity sinks to the ordinary. I feel besieged by announcements and petitions for attention. All of the sparring back and forth just wears on me and after a few weeks of it, my mind is numb and I just want it to stop. Cease and desist. I recall that I used to get excited by the election. But I am thinking that in days of yore, we didn't have the instantaneous access to 'news', and reporters reported, and what they reported were the most essential bits of information for the public to know. In my opinion, the constant barrage of information we are subjected to becomes an annoying background noise.

I think it is similar to our exposure to Christmas. It used to be that stores pulled out their decorations just after Thanksgiving. It was a magical transformation that heralded the beginning of the season. This year I have seen Christmas merchandise and decorations displayed in September. And, just like with the elections, by the time the event roles around my mind has tuned it all out: the decorations and Carols, the bells ringing and the hype are all reduced to an annoying drone. When the celebration finally arrives, I am more anxious to get it over with than to enjoy the time.

Imagine my surprise, and pleasure, in seeing the following poster on Facebook:

Hooray for Nordstrom's. How exciting that one store is bucking the trend, and harkening back to tradition. It will be wonderful if others follow suit. Imagine the joy to be experienced in savoring each holiday.  Maybe this is one way to make life a bit simpler and allow us to treasure the moments.

In some ways it is like a box of chocolates. If you gorge on the chocolates, eating them in a short period of time, you fail to enjoy the subtle differences between each candy. Your mouth becomes desensitized to the sweetness. You look at the empty box with regrets and have nothing left to look forward to. 

I want to work to savor my candies one at a time. I want to enjoy the events of our lives in the same manner. 

What about you?