Fallen Into Knowledge

Its true, in addition to all the other things I lack, I also lack “Christmas Spirit.”  There are at least three reasons for this lacking:

1.  My Family.  For as long as I remember my parents never really got into Christmas.  Even when I was the age to want to be out of bed long before dawn on Christmas morning, even then I knew that my mother, especially, didn’t particularly enjoy the season.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hold it against her:  I didn’t really care then - as long as I got the presents I wanted, and I don’t hold it against them now because I understand why they aren’t that thrilled.  I’m not either. Still, if I grew up in a family that put up decorations and made a big deal of it, my attitude might have started out differently.

2.  Starbucks.  I worked at Starbucks for many years - and worked through many Christmas seasons.  More specifically, I worked through many Christmas seasons at the Starbucks (pl.) in Pioneer Place Mall.  The masses of people.  The lines.  The Shopper’s Tempers.  The imperative to buy, buy, buy (and, for us: sell, sell, sell).  The imperative for the employees to “be happy!!!” despite all of this.  And the noise.  Oh, and listening to the same 30 Christmas songs for a solid month.  Because of this, while I worked there, I dreaded the season ’s approaching.  That dread seemed to linger on long after I had left Starbucks

3.  BUY, BUY, BUY.  Between the commercials on the radio, the newspaper ads, and the ever-present billboards, it is hard for me to miss that I am supposed to express any Christmas Spirit with my credit card.  Consumerism isn’t really all that attractive the rest of the year, but in December I can’t shake the suspicion that it is covering something that might be worth celebrating, after all.

so Bah, Humbug.  Several years ago my family started a tradition of leaving for Christmas.  We’d get a place out, away from town, and check out of all of the above.  I really enjoyed that.  We’re not leaving this year, but that’s okay.  This year I don’t feel the need to leave.

This is the first year I have spent away from the city.  Out here there are no billboards, few people have Christmas lights, and NPR doesn’t play Christmas music non stop from Thanksgiving on.  As a consequence my experience of this season as a holiday has been experienced at church.  Advent.  Here we are, just a few days out, and I have this to look forward to:  a weekend hanging out at church and with my family.  This is worth celebrating.  This is Worth some Christmas Spirit

Let the Hype begin. As has been widely reported, the title of the seventh, and final, Harry Potter book has been released, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” I didn’t start reading the series until it well under way, and I was well past the target demographic. I read the first four books, and ever since have bought each new release and read it on its release day.

One of the wonderful things about novels is their ability to present not just a story but a world. Quite often, when the story is over, I still want to keep reading about that world. I think this is the draw that the Harry Potter series has for me, I can come back periodically. This is also why I don’t mind when the book’s page count threatens to outrun the attention span of those kids who are the target demographic.

I have been less a fan of the movies that have corresponded with the books, though I have seen them all. The next movie adaptation, “Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix” will be out in the summer (alas, likely before the seventh book), and the trailer is online.