It's the Most Marketed Time of the Year

Flying for a living has made me very sensitive to the weather...and cycling daily even more so.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is look out the window for a meteorological assessment...and not just to chose my attire. My day hinges on the forecast.

But while wind or rain pretty much anywhere in the nation can impact my immediate actions, in macrocosm it is nearly impossible for me to follow the weather. I don't spend enough time in any one place to see a storm from start to finish, or watch the landscape evolve seasonally.

It is disorienting to say the least. I've already given up on knowing what day of the week it is, I'm not ready to let go of seasonal awareness too.

Thankfully there are cultural cues that keep me on track: holidays.

Or at least holiday marketing.

Sun or snow, I can depend on retailers to remind me where we are in the year, whether I like it or not.

Piles of orange and black decor and specially packaged candy tell me that Halloween is imminent, and according to at least one euphemistic banner at the local Marshall's "Holiday 2008" has already arrived (by the red, green and gold orbs I am assuming they mean Christmas).

Thankfully for me and my calendar confusion, the upcoming holiday marketing is not only aggressive, but distinctive. For months we've glided through the days in a general haze of BBQ themed patio decor and vaguely patriotic commemorations.
"Is that red, white and blue banner for Memorial Day or 4th of July?"
"Is my mattress on sale for President's Day or Rosh Ha Shana?"

The ten-foot inflatable jack-o-lantern playing a "spooky sounds" track on repeat and suddenly crowding the sidewalk where I bike to the bookstore is a firm announcement of Halloween (I'll note happily that they have not yet created the blow-up union worker to celebrate Labor Day, but I don't want to give anyone any ideas).

But lest I appear cynical, let me just say that I sincerely love the holidays. I adore Christmas and all the music, parties, decorations and celebrations that honor the Incarnation of the Lord.

And even though I always send exponentially more cards and gifts than I receive, and our family's annual attempts at picturesque domesticity are dependently anti-climactic,* I refuse to be disappointed or feel inadequate. There's far too much happiness to share.

I enjoy the preparations and the process, not just the day itself. Pardon the blatant metaphor, but I'm not overly focused on the destination, I'm all about the flight.

Since I'm knitting many gifts this year, I've been planning for Christmas already. Plus I've got a bunch of cards that I bought on clearance last year...and I actually know where they are in my house!

So even though it will still be about a month before the airport starts bustling with holiday travelers, I'm ready when they are.