Thanksgiving has come and gone. The "starting gun" has sounded, officially setting off the Christmas rush. Stores will be crowded, parking spaces, becoming non-existent, and the joyful sounds of shoppers echoing throughout the canyons of the city("Same to you buddy!", "Hey, butthead, that's my parking space!")Neighborhood Christmas lights and decorations have been going up since the passing of Halloween. Some are elaborate and garish, others simple in their presentations. A contest, if you will, trying to outdo one another. Or rather, who can out-spend the other, a battle of egos, so to speak.

Carolers, those small groups of both young and old, have all but disappeared, in this city, anyway. It was a good feeling,  sitting in your home, and suddenly hearing the voices singing Christmas carols. Jumping up, running to the door, and seeing a group standing not far from your porch singing "Silent Night", "O' Come all You Faithful", or another, and wishing you a "Merry Christmas!" as they continued down the street. Now, step out on your porch and you could get a gun stuck in your face.
It's now a different time, different era, with different attitudes. Christmas seems to have become a "me first" season. It's  time for a change.

copyright: richard riddle-emended November 26, 2015