Christmas Music

I feel like I heard less Christmas music than ever before this year. I'm not certain if its due to my avoidance of malls and television and most of what radio has to offer, or maybe even a tolerance that I have built up over the years. I can really recall only a few specific snippets of it offhand.

Once, waiting in the lobby of a hotel I stayed in several nights ago for a shuttle to pick up my rental car, I was subjected to the more obscure songs of the holiday niche from a radio station offering their very own "Christmas Miracles" - cash giveaways to people who called in with stories of friends and family who were down and out. Though the song selections were plastic and nauseating, and I couldn't help but think of the conversation in the station's management offices about charitable tax write-offs, I do dig that there is a season promoting selflessness, even if such selflessness and charity is often to the benefit of those corporations that tend to benefit from pretty much everything.

I heard "Winter Wonderland" when I was in a Borders yesterday. The used bookstore was closed. Outside, a crackling hailstorm had whitewashed the street and left an immense double rainbow from the hills to Bed Bath and Beyond. As we walked through the parking lot and into the bustling store, with the sun finally shimmering down through the weather, my brother commented that he hadn't seen anyone but us looking up at it, that he wasn't certain that any of the drivers waiting to make left turns onto the busy street or any of the pedestrians hustling in and out of shops had even noticed.

I heard holiday music a few other times, while scanning the radio when I had forgotten to bring my ipod into the car, or rushing into a coffee shop to use the bathroom, but it wasn't enough to really bum me out. I wonder if the heads of marketing this year advised that people were sick of the same old holiday crap, or if the freedom of choice that we're granted from mp3 players and free music from Limewire and BitTorrent and AUX inputs in car stereos has kept the air less polluted.

I appreciate it, whatever it is. Maybe its helped me keep a focus on seeing family and catching up, and it certainly has kept my spirits higher to not be subjected to it. My Grandma pulled out some John Lennon which was a nice alternative. "War is over, If you want it..." Singing something with a message is always nice.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great day. It certainly is always an interesting one.