This is the first year since I was 8 that I didn't have a job over the Christmas holiday season (when I was 9 I illegally inherited my sister's paper route and worked it til I was 16 and old enough to be a janitor). The difference that not working made for my holiday season was the lack of an office or retail environment build up to Christmas. For instance, in an office, the season starts after Thanksgiving when people begin decorating their cubes and placing out community bowls of Christmas candy or Christmas cookies. There is also talk and planning of an office party either in house or in public or both. Christmas emails pass through the network. And in the offices where there is an extremely energetic administrative assitant staff, you might even find yourself being included in a secret Santa or White Elephant gift giving game. Anyway, my point is that there is plenty of constant reminders and build up to the Christmas holiday when in a typical work environment.

And of course Christmas and retail go hand in hand. Last year when I was managing the coffeehouse, I began the constant Christmas music mix on December 1st and despite the kids complaints, I didn't let up. Decorations and special sales and products are expected and like the office examples above, they serve as a constant reminder of the holiday season.

But being unemployed the reminders were lacking - it didn't help that we had a relatively snow free season - and so, for that matter, was my Christmas spirit. There was no office party to try to find an excuse to leave from early and there were no store hour shifts to attempt to get covered so I could be home with my family. There was no excitement at the prospect of a 3 day weekend and it is now the end of the typical US workers' weekend and I don't share their collective dread of having to return to the grind tomorrow morning (the dread that is coupled with a glimmer of excitment with the realization that it will be a short week and soon enough another, wilder 3 day weekend is upon them).

Don't get me wrong, I've had a good weekend. I went to the Loomis, Alligator Gun, Compound Red reunion show and words are not enough to describe the beautiful nostalgia I encountered there while briefly catching up with an abundance of long lost friends. My family had a nice get together on Christmas Eve and the excitement this morning when the boys saw the presents that Santa placed under the tree for them makes the whole commercialization worthwhile. However, just the same, my season wasn't complete until about an hour ago when I sat down and watched the Christmas reunion episode of the British version of The Office.

That was the Christmas office party I was missing. Turntables, a DJ, loads of alcohol, dancing, smoking and smooching amongst the sea of cubicles and a disco ball hanging from a drop ceiling. I will leave you this Christmas with a gift of wisdom from a famous philosopher as retold by David Brent; there are 3 things that make a life complete: a companion to spend time with, a job you enjoy and to make a difference. Happy Holidays everyone!