Christmas has this sort of unique hysteria. If you've been anywhere near a store or tv, you've heard all the sales and songs and general tra-la-la-ness. There's this incessant clunking undertone of GIFTS the whole time. It's a bit of capitalistic adrenaline that everyone can feel happy with. It is a religious holiday after all. THANKS, JESUS!

Really, how popular would Christmas be without Santa and Lists and all that other candy striped crap. I love it though. Gifts, too. Anyone who denies it is either a liar or a self-actualized Buddhist, but then, Buddhists don't celebrate Christmas so that gets rid of that. The thing I like about the gifts is that each one offers a bit of honesty. It gives you a tiny little bit of insight into how that person sees you too. A relative giving you money is really saying "I know I have pleasant conversaitons with you about the weather every now and then, and you pretend to be intrested. Take this, and we'll keep the charade up. Thanks."

I think that's why buying gifts causes everyone so much high and holy angst too. What sort of impression do you want to give? Cool, rich, I-really-don't-like-you... And god forbid you tip the scales any way, lest you seem removed, pompous, or cheap, or the person realizes that you actually know nothing about them.

A few hours at the mall today affirmed my suspicions that Chirstmas is a series of sales, blinking lights, awkward enthusiam, and other completely secular events. I love it. Especially Christmas break. I only have a couple more before I have to leave never never teenageland and get a JOB, and all that other hoary adult stuff.

No snowdays either. Nothing is as perfect as realizing that you can have a day off from smiling and handing in and raising your hand with all the right answers dutifully. School. What really terrifies me is the people who nod their heads, embarrassingly sage-like, and say"these are the best years of your life. You just don't know it yet." If these are the best then shoot me and donate my body to science.