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oluthe holidays are starting earlier every year. that's the big marketing plan right? halloween has been officially looped in as part of the 'holiday season' and in september we start seeing it. around town, but most markedly at those urban outposts. the not quite in the city mall areas that city folks that can commute out to for cheap toilet paper and cat food, and folks who live in the suburbs commute in to for the same reasons. it almost seems like neutral territory. the place where our tribes cross and mingle. i see more children at target in one afternoon then i see in an entire year in my usual stomping grounds. and i am friends with people who have kids. but - back to the holdays. halloween starts in september and this year for the first time i noticed, in the back of boo-boulevard, they were storing overstock. of. christmas decorations. i was shocked. appalled. how was this already coming? already being forced upon us? i have come to a place in my life where i like the holidays after many years away - but fuck you if you want me to be happy about some santa shit in october. spooky street and boo boulevard leave target far too quickly. by Nov. 1 the ghosty fetishes and witchy women are completely picked over, with the overstock xmas displays on those top shelves blinking and lighting themselves up knowingly. that ski-ing polar bear is going to take over. it's just a matter of time.
and then... something happened. i started seeing the walgreens displays. the stores downtown started making things red and white and snowy in a festive and non denominational sort of way. i took down my own halloween decorations. the air turned a little cooler and i was feeling more of the magic of autumn. i found the first gift for someone early. early enough that i wanted to give it to them before xmas-esque time because it felt weird to buy one of THOSE presents yet. a couple of days after that i got a package in the mail. she had written: "these should be enough to empty them on to your floor and roll around in them." it was a two foot square box filled with leaves. huge maple and oak and elm leaves. some crunched up but mostly unbroken. smelling like fall and cardboard and travel and the coming of winter.
it turned something over in me. the next time i went to the outposts. it was still before thanksgiving. but the people, had a shine to them. you could tell they were shopping for presents instead of toilet paper. everyone was rude and rushed and so very happy and sparking about it. as we drove over to check on a friend that night, she counted 5 xmas trees up in homes, fully lit and decorated. "it feels so early" she said. "why do people need to start this so early this year?"
"maybe they need it" i said. and as the words left my mouth i felt something settle in my chest. something old and good. " i need it" i said. realizing. knowing. i was enjoying the reds and whites. the slightly extra festive. the excitement about making people gifts, and sharing smiles, and seeing her family and chosen family and... for me i was ready. it was ok. something to look forward to. i need it.
and then... something happened. i started seeing the walgreens displays. the stores downtown started making things red and white and snowy in a festive and non denominational sort of way. i took down my own halloween decorations. the air turned a little cooler and i was feeling more of the magic of autumn. i found the first gift for someone early. early enough that i wanted to give it to them before xmas-esque time because it felt weird to buy one of THOSE presents yet. a couple of days after that i got a package in the mail. she had written: "these should be enough to empty them on to your floor and roll around in them." it was a two foot square box filled with leaves. huge maple and oak and elm leaves. some crunched up but mostly unbroken. smelling like fall and cardboard and travel and the coming of winter.
it turned something over in me. the next time i went to the outposts. it was still before thanksgiving. but the people, had a shine to them. you could tell they were shopping for presents instead of toilet paper. everyone was rude and rushed and so very happy and sparking about it. as we drove over to check on a friend that night, she counted 5 xmas trees up in homes, fully lit and decorated. "it feels so early" she said. "why do people need to start this so early this year?"
"maybe they need it" i said. and as the words left my mouth i felt something settle in my chest. something old and good. " i need it" i said. realizing. knowing. i was enjoying the reds and whites. the slightly extra festive. the excitement about making people gifts, and sharing smiles, and seeing her family and chosen family and... for me i was ready. it was ok. something to look forward to. i need it.
