**This entry was written last year for SLAM Magazine's February issue. I'm posting it now because a great deal of insight of what happens during the holidays came through. I found it sad that I didn't have it at the beginning of the season. I've opted to post it now so you get the maximum benefit. Wonderful stuff!**
Like an Insane, Rabid, Machine Gun Toting Bunny,
Along Comes February
As an observer of life, I find something unique and important stands out to me.
October,
Halloween, very social. It's a time when we let loose & have fun with our friends and strangers.
People you don't even know come to your door in disguises and expect you to give them gifts.
This brings out our feelings about public, social and societal relationships within our lives.
Do you go party with friends or in crowds? Enjoy giving out candy to the kids who come by?
Find you don't have the social life you thought, get depressed & eat the candy you bought for the kids?
Do you turn off the lights and watch slasher movies (a pretty loud statement in it's self), and ignore the little beggars ringing your doorbell incessantly?
Your choices and actions here say much about your relationship with society.
So begins the mystical side of our annual 5 month personal journey dubbed 'The Holidays'.
November,
Thanksgiving is like a bright light forcing you to look at how you feel about your friends & family.
Who is it you'd rather spend time with?
Do you dread going home or love going home?
Would you rather just let the day go by or do you begin planning
the menu weeks in advance and start shopping early with love in your heart?
This holiday has us review how we feel about the people in our personal lives.
December,
December, shines a bright light on faith & family relationships.
Do we stress now or love this time? Do we feel all alone or rejoice in the brotherhood of man?
The gifts and experiences here tend to high-lite how well we know or don't know one another.
Are we concerned about gifts or so secure in our relationships that the time together is gift enough?
Then there's how we feel about the faith we follow.
No matter what we feel, it seems the powers that be are shining an inescapable laser beam on the relationships closest to us during this time.
See a pattern here....It's getting closer!
January,
New Years the light is moved to us, ourselves, our accomplishments in life.
What have we experienced, created, destroyed, achieved, etc....
What do we intend to do in the coming year?
We often have had enough of the other spotlights at this point and just blow
this one off with mass quantities of noise & alcohol.
It will find you within the month though.
Other people & their resolutions even random thoughts floating through your mind
will make it hard to remain in denial forever.
January asks us,
Who are you?
Where are you going?
What are you doing with your life?
Soon you feel the pressure lift. You think ~
"Whew! made it through the holidays!
YES!",
Then,
like an insane, rabid, machine gun toting bunny, along comes February.
Do not underestimate the sneakiness of February.
Now the light shines right into the HEART of us!
Passion & romance, it's all around you.
We are pushed to look inward, more deeply this time.
There seems to be no escaping it. How do you really feel about the most personal of relationships?
Are you loved?
Will you let your self be loved?
Are you happy with your love life? Alone & loving it or hating it?
Maybe when you look you find it's better than expected.
Maybe you have Valentine's Day every single day.
How we feel in February tells us much about how happy we are within.
This is the last step of the yearly pilgrimage few of us ever realize we're on.
Hooray for Valentines day!
No matter what you're feeling this 5 month journey is nearly done.
You have 8 months to create the experience you want for next years journey through the holidays.
Ready, Set, Create My Loves!
Along Comes February
As an observer of life, I find something unique and important stands out to me.
October,
Halloween, very social. It's a time when we let loose & have fun with our friends and strangers.
People you don't even know come to your door in disguises and expect you to give them gifts.
This brings out our feelings about public, social and societal relationships within our lives.
Do you go party with friends or in crowds? Enjoy giving out candy to the kids who come by?
Find you don't have the social life you thought, get depressed & eat the candy you bought for the kids?
Do you turn off the lights and watch slasher movies (a pretty loud statement in it's self), and ignore the little beggars ringing your doorbell incessantly?
Your choices and actions here say much about your relationship with society.
So begins the mystical side of our annual 5 month personal journey dubbed 'The Holidays'.
November,
Thanksgiving is like a bright light forcing you to look at how you feel about your friends & family.
Who is it you'd rather spend time with?
Do you dread going home or love going home?
Would you rather just let the day go by or do you begin planning
the menu weeks in advance and start shopping early with love in your heart?
This holiday has us review how we feel about the people in our personal lives.
December,
December, shines a bright light on faith & family relationships.
Do we stress now or love this time? Do we feel all alone or rejoice in the brotherhood of man?
The gifts and experiences here tend to high-lite how well we know or don't know one another.
Are we concerned about gifts or so secure in our relationships that the time together is gift enough?
Then there's how we feel about the faith we follow.
No matter what we feel, it seems the powers that be are shining an inescapable laser beam on the relationships closest to us during this time.
See a pattern here....It's getting closer!
January,
New Years the light is moved to us, ourselves, our accomplishments in life.
What have we experienced, created, destroyed, achieved, etc....
What do we intend to do in the coming year?
We often have had enough of the other spotlights at this point and just blow
this one off with mass quantities of noise & alcohol.
It will find you within the month though.
Other people & their resolutions even random thoughts floating through your mind
will make it hard to remain in denial forever.
January asks us,
Who are you?
Where are you going?
What are you doing with your life?
Soon you feel the pressure lift. You think ~
"Whew! made it through the holidays!
YES!",
Then,
like an insane, rabid, machine gun toting bunny, along comes February.
Do not underestimate the sneakiness of February.
Now the light shines right into the HEART of us!
Passion & romance, it's all around you.
We are pushed to look inward, more deeply this time.
There seems to be no escaping it. How do you really feel about the most personal of relationships?
Are you loved?
Will you let your self be loved?
Are you happy with your love life? Alone & loving it or hating it?
Maybe when you look you find it's better than expected.
Maybe you have Valentine's Day every single day.
How we feel in February tells us much about how happy we are within.
This is the last step of the yearly pilgrimage few of us ever realize we're on.
Hooray for Valentines day!
No matter what you're feeling this 5 month journey is nearly done.
You have 8 months to create the experience you want for next years journey through the holidays.
Ready, Set, Create My Loves!
