The Mall 12/1/11

• Jeez.  I am an idiot.  I went to the Mall for a pleasant diversion and a little people watching.  Forgot it was Christmas.  Everywhere I went "Blue Christmas" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Santa Baby" was blaring from store speakers.  Even the Charlie Brown Christmas song swamped me with sadness.  Not for myself.  Not because I'm here alone.  Sad for another 24 days of this in-your-face-buying-frenzy complete with sappy soundtrack to quilt you along into buying more crap and feeling bad about your otherwise OK life. 
• Can you tell I hate Christmas?  Not the urge to help others and give the gift of love (and not diamond love) Christ-y Christmas.  I hate commercial Christmas.  Quoting Alfred, the Macy janitor, from Miracle on 34th Street, "There's a lot of bad 'isms' floatin' around this world, but one of the worst is commercialism . . . don't care what Christmas stands for, just make a buck, make a buck."  Amen, Brother.  Every year I wish I could go to sleep on Halloween and wake up after New Years.
• I didn't last an hour in the Mall.  I was either going to have a boohooing meltdown or start snatching that giant Christmas tree bald and hurling ornaments at the speakers.  So I left.
• Even when I was beachwalking and hearing the nurturing swish swish of Mother Ocean, "Winter Wonderland" was playing in my head.  Dayum.  My brain has been abducted by Christmas Classics.