A Nice Distraction - Summer Edition

Six months from today is Christmas Eve. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday, we were taking down the tree and wrapping the lights.

It was a tough winter for most of the country, including the Northeast. I know it is only the third full day of summer and we haven't had a sustained heat wave yet on Long Island. But, it is strange that winter would be on my mind.

I figured out why. With all that has been happening lately, the mind was looking for a distraction, one which would be totally different from that of all the negative news domestically and the horror we are witnessing in several foreign locales, most notably Iraq.

So, while I am not a fan of winter for any reason, I am a fan of Christmas. This is the one holiday which we celebrate secularly and religiously in the United States and Canada. It is both a National holiday and a Christian Holy Day.

I love the festive feeling I get from Thanksgiving on. Don’t you? Actually, in recent years, Christmas music is played 24/7 and starts the weekend before Thanksgiving, whether I am on Long Island or in the city.

Merry Christmas Darling (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last year, I had an opportunity to visit friends in New England and of course, Christmas music was being played. On a Classic Rock station no less. I was put into Christmas mode on November 8, which I wrote about in my commentary of November 11 called A Christmas Song? Already?

And of course, in about a month, QVC, HSN and all the rest of the shopping channels will have their Christmas shows, selling toys, and jewelry, and tools; desserts, and food, and candies; and through it all, wishing each caller a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. 

 Maybe this is the way our minds are supposed to work. You know, distract us from the serious problems we face each day, either for ourselves personally or from the plethora of information which crowds out our brains with things we can't control.

So, Merry Six Months to Go to Christmas. It really is ok to be distracted once in a while, you know, to recharge the batteries. I was distracted from the world writing this. I hope you were as distracted reading it.

As Scarlett once said, "Tomorrow is another day!"