Slipping In and Out of Time

I think that one of the reasons time seems to be hurtling past me at an ever-increasing velocity is the fact that what used to be distinct demarcations in its fabric are being blurred- time isn't going any faster, but it seems as if it is.

Case in point: Christmas. I'm guilty of rushing the season myself (see yesterday's post.) Christmas carols have been played on the radio and in stores for a coupe of weeks now, some people have their decorations up, and even our Christmas cactus is a little confused. The twelve days of Christmas (which seemed far too long when I was a child) are now more like 48.

With global warming extending summer (a week ago people here in Minnesota were wearing shorts) the calendar doesn't mean what it used to. Most of the other holidays are becoming variations on Memorial day. Thanksgiving once was special- a secular holiday celebrating the family- then it became the prelude to Christmas shopping, now it is just another long weekend of consumption and football.

On sort of a related note, The Beatles catalog has been released on iTunes today, maybe that's important to some, but its impact won't be the same as a new Beatle album under the tree used to be. But John and Yoko did make one of the best Christmas songs of all time, one whose message won't ever be diluted by sentimentality or commercialism:

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas (War is over)
For weak and for strong (If you want it)
For rich and the poor ones (War is over)
The world is so wrong Now!
And so Happy Christmas (War is over)
For black and for white (If you want it)
For yellow and red ones (War is over)
Let's stop all the fight Now!

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas (War is over)
And what have we done (If you want it)
Another year over (War is over)
And a new one just begun Now!
And so Happy Christmas (War is over)
I hope you have fun (If you want it)
The near and the dear one (War is over)
The old and the young Now!

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

War is over if you want it
War is over now