Day 308 -- Advent of holiday stressers

Is it just me or does it still seem a bit early for Christmas shows and commericals? The first show I noticed on the schedule was on Saturday -- the morning after Halloween, with the first commercial earlier in that week. The marketing of the holiday seasons seems way out of control. Halloween treats were in the stores since early September -- that is 8 weeks early. Anything purchased that early would never make it to the end to October. What a great way to justify over-consumption  -- eating and purchasing <sigh>.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy holiday specials, even repeats of movies and such from previous years. It just seems a bit early to start the movies now -- that means they will be played many, many, many times before Christmas. Another of my pet peeves.

The days seem to be so filled with pressures for everyone -- buy this, travel here, eat this, think that. The mass media follow us everywhere trying to get us to conform to help someone make a profit. The Christmas shows can add pressure making people feel they are behind schedule -- need to buy gifts, decorations, treats, cards, and  so on. So, the earlier this begins, the more anxiety that can be induced in viewers. I choose not to watch holiday specials until at least mid- November, but generally not until closer to US Thanksgiving. That is enough time to begin to get into the spirit of things. I don't want this to sound like a big 'bah humbug' just that I feel it may be healthier if we pace ourselves a bit.

Today's selection talks about the external and internal stresses we are subject to. I enjoy the repetitive melodic aspects that seem to embody the stress. Enjoy!

Pressure -- Billy Joel