Sunday 28 November 2004

Giving in to the holidays

It seems that the Christmas season begins earlier and earlier every year. It was a full week before Thanksgiving and I was hanging onto a ladder, stringing up Christmas lights while my wife was inside sorting through her Christmas decorations and listening to the "Sounds of the Season" cable music channel. There was a time when I wouldn't be caught dead stringing up holiday lights in 60-degree mid-November weather, but it seems my wife's affinity for the holiday season has started to rub off on me.

In years past, I would have been much more resistant to the idea of being one of the first on the block to decorate for the Christmas holiday. And you wouldn't have found Christmas music CDs in my car then either, except for one particular occasion.

One year while living in New Hampshire, my wife busted out the Mariah Carey Christmas compilation CD and popped it in while we were driving somewhere. I couldn't take it for too long and I asked her to change CDs - not an unreasonable request since it was the week after Halloween.I think she was enjoying the sweet holiday melodies too much. I asked again, and she told me that she wanted to hear "just one more song." We agreed, and the ditty played to its conclusion. She then tried to eject the CD, but it was stuck in the player of our new car. Now not only was it too early to be listening to Christmas music, but I didn't have a choice, because that was all the radio would play. It was Mariah Carey Christmas all day every day from then on. Kristin couldn't have been happier. It's weird, I know.

It was sweet revenge a couple of weeks later when we took the car to the dealership. They had to replace the stereo and couldn't get the CD out at the shop. The radio was going to be sent to California and the CD would then be mailed back to us in "about six weeks". I tried not to smile when I heard the news, I didn't want to hurt Kristin's feelings. But she knew I was happy for the reprieve.

We left the dealership and headed for home. But there was one more stop Kristin wanted to make. She pointed to the BJs sign and said she wanted to quickly run in and pick up something. I waited in the car, feeling satisfied that I would not be forced to listen to the Mariah Carey Christmas CD for a while. These happy thoughts were soon replaced with dread. She was walking toward the car with a CD. I didn't have to ask which one it was, the smug smile on her face told me that she had purchased a new Mariah Carey Christmas CD. Now not only would I have to hear it again, but in six weeks, she would have two Mariah Carey Christmas CDs. Bah humbug!

I'm really not a Grinch, it was just too early for my festive juices to start flowing. But that seems to be changing, maybe because of Mariah Carey. While stringing up the lights at my house a couple of weeks ago, I had those same Mariah Carey songs running through my head and I couldn't get them out. I think my wife planned it that way and brainwashed me. Judging by the number of cars that beeped and waved (I think they were all waving), she may have gotten to other folks as well. As it stands, I have yet to find my limit of how early I can begin to seriously think about Christmas, but one thing I can probably count on is that I will think about it a little earlier next year, too.

(Kent County Daily Times - Heroes of Mariah)



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