Don’t you hate it when stores release Christmas stuff way before the Christmas season, even before Thanksgiving? If you do, you’re a lot like my wife Angie. If someone sends me an ad or a sales pitch about some special Christmas gift, I respect what they are doing, and, especially with today’s economy, their need to get a jump on Christmas sales when those sales are likely to be the largest percent of their annual volume. That doesn’t mean I like it, it just means that I understand it. Nevertheless when my wife Angie gets one of those, her usual response is to post the ad with one of those little rubberized magnets on the refrigerator as a reminder not to buy a Christmas gift from them. That may sound a little harsh, but here’s what she said to me.

“Shopping seems to be the only thing we think about at Christmas these days. Shopping is necessary, and is a big part of Christmas, but it shouldn’t be the main part. We should be thinking more about the giving than the shopping. Retailers should think some about that too. If they come out with all their Christmas stuff two months before Christmas, Santa stations with elves set up, long lines of children waiting to tell Santa all they want for Christmas, with all the bump and tug, it puts too much emphasis on buying and selling.

“Names are drawn and Christmas gifts are bought, not just for the kids, but for everyone, presents are wrapped, stockings are hung, all this hustle and bustle and commercialization of the season seem a far cry from the simple idea of being together as a family or with friends just to count our blessings. All this flim-flam about trees, and presents, and Santa Claus tends to obscure the marvelous truth about what each person has in his or her own heart and expresses as the gifts of spirit, sharing and warmth. Instead, it’s nothing but beggars beg and spenders spend, drinkers drink and vendors vend, or something like that-however that ancient rhyme goes.

“Then as soon as the 26th rolls around the stores are open with slashed prices to attract more shopping they hope will last until the next season. Then those Christmas gifts are exchanged or returned, gift certificates are redeemed, yadda yadda yadda. The truth about Christmas would come out if you took away all the gifts,” she says. “Stuff the stockings and that would be it. Then we could get a fresh start. Then we could add gifts as a way to show real feeling, or benevolence or as a symbol of God’s gift.” Then she concludes with the question, “Don’t you agree with me, Walker?”

I didn’t answer. I decided long ago not to argue with my wife Angie about anything she feels strongly, or anything else for that matter. I can see her point, but sometimes I let Christmas sneak up on me, and I don’t mind a little reminder about the need to take care of Christmas gifts from time to time. I’m not really being sold anything, it’s just a reminder. I do sometimes wish, though, that they would wait until Thanksgiving to remind me about Christmas. What I need before Thanksgiving is a reminder about Thanksgiving.

But these same places sell all kinds of stuff throughout the year that people will be buying daily, not just as Christmas gifts, whether it’s before, during or in some cases after the Christmas season. And I don’t see anything wrong with them telling people not to forget that Christmas is only two or three months away so don’t forget. I don’t mind getting those reminders at all, but not my wife Angie. She’ll grab one up, and on the frig it goes, faster than a mantis can bite off the head of her mate.

I know my wife Angie will likely be reading this at some time or another, and, just as I’ve learned not to argue a point with her, I’ve learned just as well to apologize in advance when I take another view that is different from hers. So here I am, kind of disagreeing and sort of apologizing all in one whack, and I’m not sure I can get by with either, much less both.

Please go here, to see more about Christmas banjos, or check out my blog at papasboxes.com and you’ll see some great ideas there.