Enjoy it while you can
In the Light
For anyone who may have forgotten: Veterans Day is the last “good holiday” until July 4.
Every holiday between now and then will be filled with anxiety, shopping madness, more anxiety, maxed out credit cards, bickering families, did I mention anxiety (?), guilt, bad sweaters, worse New Years Eve outfits, and (if possible) more anxiety.
There will be bad Valentine’s Day break-ups (is there a good one?), bad boiled eggs leading to botulism, and everybody rushing to prove they’re Irish (or at least to drink green beer).
All of these holidays cause you to lose sleep, bazooka barf, and hate your spouse/loved one for no other reason than ... Anxiety — and bad grammar/bad restuarant choices/hygiene/clothing choices/cousins you weren’t even aware existed.
You know the cousins: The snobby ones — and the ones with green teeth and an eye patch.
Plus, the .. You know ... The triplets from Minnesota.
There will be a ton of crappy holiday-themed movies (and songs played repeatedly on radio stations), and old traditions (really good ones) will be replaced by new traditions — like waxing the cat on Easter and/or Christmas tree lingerie.
There will be a plethora of holiday-themed candy, snacks, drinks, socks and t-shirts, games ... That will suck out your soul and your will to live. Not to mention there will be bad food, bad presents, and worse-than-bad in-laws.
You know I’m not lying. Go ahead, smile! It’s the holiday season. Am I cynical? I don’t think so. When’s the last time you didn’t “buy” a Christmas present? When’s the last time you volunteered at a food kitchen at Christmas? When’s the last time you “felt” Christmas?
And I don’t mean to pick on Christmas (it is the big one, though). We don’t have holidays anymore where we just “appreciate” what they are designated holidays for. They’ve become a means to sell ... Crap. A holiday should be more than that. It should be a day where we appreciate something meaningful.
So relish your Veterans Day memories: How you puddled up while talking with a Veteran; how damned good they looked in their uniforms (old and new) and how proud they looked because they served their country — OUR country; how much you really do love having the freedoms you have because of them; and how you could never imagine making the sacrifices they have made — good thing we have Veterans, huh?
Then think about what you’re going to do during the next six - eight months. How your teeth will suffer from grinding them; how your finances will suffer for things that are meaningless; how anxiety (yes, again with that word) will drive you to being a zombie extra on “The Walking Dead.”
Just another thing America has given us: Two holidays where all you have to do is appreciate being an American (on July 4 you can also enjoy a cold one AND grill out a burger and be as U.S.A. as apple pie — just don’t drive, okay?) without having to sacrifice your soul for a toy, appropriate card, front row seats, and/or “meaningful gestures (whatever that is).”
You want a romantic holiday? How about Veteran Day? Maybe they volunteered to serve our country. Maybe they were drafted and maybe they didn’t love their country like they do now, but they sure have a stake in it and I bet you they love it more than ever after paying for it. My friend, that is love. It’s paid for by something other than a credit card or cold, hard cash.
There are only 232 days until July 4, 2018. Try to stay sane and keep loving your family until then. Please.