Pick n Choose during the Holiday Blues

In recent years I've become such a sucker for Holiday prep. Right away the Christmas songs are clicked on my Pandora Radio or a YouTube playlist, the tree goes up, some decorations, and I opt for red nail polish- a bright, December red as opposed to a deep, November red or as Amanda in "The Holiday" says when putting together the new Christmas movie trailer, "A happy red not a Scorsese red!"
One of my happy December reds last year
I didnt always do that and can absolutely understand as well as experience the opposite feelings, an aversion to the holidays and its cheer. How it can feel fake and forced and then downright tragic when you reflect on the year, time, life- with no hope of world peace- The corniness, commercialization, the overspending, overeating. The slush on the streets. The heightened emotions that come with all the celebrations. The bad Christmas shows and songs that come out and you're just like
and
when it's the 50th time you've seen/heard them and it's not even Christmas yet. Then there's the constant religious/political strife that never really ends. But I seem to be a walking contradiction here because I also savor that "something in the air" magic I sometimes feel, the lights the traditions of homemade gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies with my family, the perníl, coquito, making arroz con leche and tembleque, the good Christmas shows and songs, like the Charlie Brown Vince Guaraldi ones caroling for the FDNY families as an FDNY Caroler that started after 9/11 and that I've taken part in for about 5 years the time off of school and work and those New Year's Eve marathons I'm in love with: The Twilight Zone, The Honeymooners, and The Odd Couple. As Pat Philbin once tweeted last year, choosing which one to tune into is, "like Sophie's Choice w/ triplets!"
So I pick n choose. And even though all the forced fa-la-las creep in well before Halloween's even given a chance, I don't let myself go through it or take it in until this month. Come December I'm all Viva las Ugly, but-not-so-ugly-after-all Sweaters! Dream Chasing Update: My sister sent me my first proofreading assignment due this Friday. Wish me luck!

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