Holiday Enjoyment Threatened by Annual Annoyances

Twinkling lights. Sugar cookies. General good will. There are lots of reasons to enjoy the month of December.

But I find myself feeling gloomy this year and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's that Black Friday shoppers are tasering each other at BrawlMart. Maybe it's because I put my little tree up in my new living room and it just looks sad.

Every year, there are a few unavoidable holiday occurrences which threaten all the seasonal cheer I so delicately nurture. Would it be possible, for the sake of sanity, to avoid the following?

• Heavy metal versions of Little Drummer Boy. 
• Gift exchanges at the office. 
• The work holiday party. 
• People who think that wishing someone "happy holidays" is akin to declaring war on Christmas. 
• People who talk on the phone while they drive - not specific to this time of year, but offensive the whole year through. 
• Secret Santas. 
• Obnoxious Christians who want to cram their distorted version of the faith down everyone else's throat by "reclaiming" the "reason for the season." 
• Loud renditions of Silent Night 
• Barbra Streisand's version of Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Jingle Bells. 
• Really, any version of Jingle Bells. 
• Beautiful songs like Oh Holy Night slaughtered by popular singers.
• Treating the delightful song from the Sound of Music, My Favorite Things, as a Christmas tune. It's not. 
• Lists. End of year and other kinds ... including, yes, this one.
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - any version. 
• Snow - in spite of the purported desirability of a "white Christmas," all it really does is mess up travel when people most want to achieve distant destinations.

Wow. A lot of these have to do with music. There must be other issues tied up in here. I never said I didn't harbor multiple issues. Well, lest you think I'm nothing but a Scrooge, let me just say that there are some lovely holiday lights up in my neighborhood and I'm planning to enjoy them. Have a good month and try to find the joy where you can!