Taking the finger off of 'fast forward'
Voters throwing money away, giving too much control to government
Last week our editorial page touched on a topic I've been considering for some time: Our culture's ever increasing tendency to plow into the Christmas season earlier and earlier every year. As Herald writer Brad W. Gary and a letter to the editor writer touched on last Thursday, this need for holiday speed seems to be accelerating, pushing Americans to the point that we're nearly skipping over Thanksgiving in our excitement for Christmas.
It seems a symptom of an overall trend in our culture to fast forward through everything. We've forgotten to slow down, and we put much in jeopardy by not taking the time to enjoy our lives, our families and even our holidays.
I'm a prime example of life in fast motion. That's part of the newspaper business — we're always thinking about the next story and planning for the weeks and months ahead. I live my life on deadline, and sometimes, while I'm simultaneously answering a phone call, responding to an e-mail and waving goodbye to a reporter who's off to an assignment, I realize how ridiculously fast-paced my life is.
But that's just the way most of us work these days as we multitask at the office and at home.
It's no wonder we hardly have time to think about Thanksgiving. I know I already feel behind the times for not having all my Christmas shopping done. I've been inundated with Christmas displays since October but I haven't gotten a thing done yet. I suppose that's exactly how the marketing blitz is designed to work. What better way to prey on all of us hurried folk than to nearly force us to jump start our holidays by making them feel they're upon us months in advance?
But especially during the holiday season, it's important to take control of the situation by making time to enjoy ourselves and those around us. And what perfect time to start than at Thanksgiving? It's still our choice to let ourselves be overcome by Christmas commercialism, or not.
So fight the urge to put up the tree before you buy a turkey for Thursday. Stop to think back to the first Thanksgiving and recognize what this very American holiday is all about: enjoying and appreciating what we have. When we're only concentrating on our anticipation for the next big event, it's easy to forget to focus on the joys of the present.
And if you just can't get out of the habit of moving at the speed of light, then maybe you should make an early New Year's resolution to slow down a little.
Erin Stuber is the Herald's managing editor.
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