1. Why is it that before Halloween is even over, the stores are already pushing Christmas? I love the holiday and all...the smells of spicy breads and cookies as they bake, the twinkle lights, hot chocolate and apple cider, tamales, etc. What I don't love is that the holiday has become so commercialized, that it starts way before Thanksgiving, and this year, seems to even trump Thanksgiving!! I mean, how many people are going to have to spend most of Thanksgiving day sleeping, because they have to report to work at 9-10 pm to prepare for the hordes of people brainwashed into thinking that "Black Friday" deals are really that great...only to fight over the last of the latest toys and what not? These people are being taken away from their families for the purpose of the "Oh Mighty Dollar"! Is it really worth it? And what about the people who will camp out in front of these stores on Thanksgiving Day to be one of the first in front of the stores? Thanksgiving Day is supposed to be a time of fellowship with friends and family...eating too much...watching a football game together...dusting off that deck of cards for a serious game between people who haven't actually seen each other all year...kids wrestling in the back yard and sitting in front of a fire making smores after the sun goes down...etc. This country really has their priorities screwed up! I mean, I have no problem with the traditional "ladies go out shopping together while the men watch football" on the Friday after Thanksgiving...this is fun times, too. But let's keep Thanksgiving just that...a day of thanksgiving!
2. Every other day, I see on the route to work a NEW alert for a missing elderly person. It makes me wonder, are these people really "missing"? Could it be a case that they got tired of their overbearing children treating them like children, so they snuck off to go spend a few days with their rummy partner or something, and don't feel like talking to their kids? Could it be that years after a spouse died, they have a new love, and the two snuck off for some alone time? Just seems to me we have an awful lot of elderly people just wandering off.
3. WHY do people have to rubber-neck at every little thing happening on the side of the road? Yesterday, I got stuck in traffic because someone was well off the roadway changing a tire! Yes, just changing a tire!!! Once you got past the person changing the tire, traffic flowed just fine, as people realized, "Oh, that's it?" Then, this morning, I got stuck in traffic because of people gawking at a fender-bender which had been moved off to the side of the road. Even out of the side of my eye, I could see the damage and it was obvious to me that the wreck was caused by someone being stupid (it is one of those areas where a lane ends, and there is PLENTY of advance warning the lane will end and one should merge over, but people insist on speeding up and forcing their way in at the last second). Even if there were an accident and blood and guts everywhere, I'm sure the person or the family of that person wouldn't want you gawking at them...I know I surely wouldn't want you just gawking at me if I was hurt and being tended to by emergency services. Even worse is when emergency services are not even there, and people just gawk and don't offer the person any assistance! Even if emergency services are on the way, maybe that person needs a blanket or something to prevent going into shock! It amazes me how people can see a person in need of help, and just drive by thinking, "Ooooo...that looks nasty!"
4. One of my favorite YouTube personalities is working on having a new positive outlook on life, and is urging his viewers to do the same. I try...I honestly do! However, it is sometimes very difficult to have a positive outlook when one is surrounded by such stupidity! I mean, SERIOUSLY! It drags on you, and my "positive" outlook turns into, "Yes, I'm looking at things positively...I'm POSITIVE you are acting as stupid as you possibly can!"
I know today's "musings" is a bit long. I'm not feeling well...haven't felt well in over a week now. I need a serious vacation...come on January! When I'm not well, I tend to me more sensitive to the junk going on around me...that's all. :)
