Yes, they are pretty. Yes, they are stylish. Yes, they bring a nice glow along the street. And yes they are festive. But they are too soon. It is not even Thanksgiving and already the first Christmas decorations are up in the industrial section of our nearby neighborhood. This is Santa and his sleigh.

And down the road are his reindeer – a pair here and then there are 5 more sets further away – didn’t take pictures of all – that would be overkill.

The man who owns a local business puts them up every year, along with a Christmas tree on top of one of his buildings. I really shouldn’t be surprised – he has about a dozen buildings for his business. And when he runs for city council his mailings are full color, double-sided. He hasn’t won a seat – thank goodness for that (very opinionated) – but it’s not for lack of trying and being over the top.

And he’s not alone. Many stores have already set up Christmas displays – with at least a couple of rows of Christmas lights for sale. Black Friday advertisements have been out for a while – hoping it won’t be as crazy this year (but then I don’t imbibe).

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the holidays and have fun memories of both Thanksgiving and Christmas growing up. They were almost the only time we ever had a fire in the fireplace which was a real treat. I enjoyed the office decorations around the holidays. Though with covid and working from home – and now being back in the job hunt – the decorations took a hit.

But I wish people wouldn’t just rush through the year and gobble up time like a smorgasbord of competitive eating. Time goes by too fast as it is. We need to learn to slow down and savor life as it happens. Learn to use your senses to enjoy your surroundings – and the people who inhabit them.