For a few years, now, I’ve made a point of making some comment or another at this point in the year, remarking about the USian practice of engaging in a lot of buying on the day following Thanksgiving. The comments have varied in length and form, ranging from pompous prose to some alliterative verse I think I did decently. In that, I suppose they’re representative of my writing. I get prolix, I know, and I do still enjoy compiling verses, even if I haven’t been doing nearly as much of it lately as I might like. (Between work and having been sick recently, I haven’t had the energy to give to it, which I lament.) They’re perhaps more acerbic than average for me, but I do get…on…about more than a few things, so maybe that’s not really the case.

I had meant to continue the “tradition” (how “traditional” something can be that one guy does for a few years, I’m not certain) with this entry into this webspace, finding something else about which to gripe at some length. But I really don’t have it this time around. To my understanding, it’s simply not as big a deal anymore as it used to be. A lot of things aren’t, honestly. While some of my outside engagement has me involved in holiday festivities, those don’t seem to be attracting as much attention and demanding as much engagement as they previously did. Perhaps I am projecting, and I’ll admit that may not be the best thing, but it seems there is more apathy afoot. It could just be me, but I don’t think it is; what I see suggests as much, although, here as elsewhere, I’ll admit that my experience is probably not entirely representative. Even so, I’m subjected to advertisements like anyone else, and there seem fewer for holiday stuff than I remember.

What to make of all of it, I have no real idea. I don’t necessarily trust my own perceptions on the matter; as noted, I’ve been taken up with other things for a while, so it’s possible it’s all going on as normal and I’m just not looking at where it is. It may be that there is increasing recognition of the…disjunctions I’ve noted on occasion. It might be that the prevalence of consumption culture means there is no effective difference between the day before Thanksgiving and the day after in terms of how much and what people want to buy; being able to get things delivered in a day makes waiting for a holiday less an issue, I think. It’s also possible that it’s simply a matter of people having less money to spend–and everybody knowing it; no point spending money to bring in customers who aren’t, after all.

Of course, there’s irony in my saying that last, since I would like to have some more work coming in…

If you’ve got the need, I can write for you!

Or you can send your support along directly!