The Other Reason For The Season

I finished my Christmas shopping several days ago, so yesterday's trip to the Mall was more a personal observation of holiday frenzy than anything else. Between stops at stand-alone stores, specialty strip centers, and on-line merchants I was able to find just about everything on my list. But, you can't get the full impact of the commercial side of the season without experiencing the energy of last-minute shoppers on a mission, children kicking and screaming while waiting in line to tell Santa how good they've been all year, and frantic retailers posting sale signs as the yuletide clock ticks down to zero. It was like navigating rush-hour on the 610 Loop at Westheimer as I wove through fast moving rows of bag ladened shoppers. There was stop-and-go traffic in front of Victoria's Secret, near collisions at Starbucks and the T-Mobile kiosk, and an occasional fender bender as folks tried to change lanes at center court. But, it was all taken in the spirit of the holiday with plenty of excuse mes, and oh, sorrys, and no insurance information had to be exchanged. As Muzak-like Christmas tunes by Bing Crosby, Karen Carpenter and Gene Autry played from the speakers above, AC-DC, George Strait and some unrecognizable Rap crap spilled out from the individual stores that I passed. It was a virtual cornucopia of audible holiday treats to delight any musical taste. For some, all fashion sense had been abandoned this day. At no other time of the year can you see a grown man wearing cut-offs and flip flops, a fuzzy red Santa cap reading "I Still Believe" and a t-shirt honoring the memory of Dale Earnhardt. The sights and sounds, the stress and the dress have all become synonymous with Christmastime, but for me it's certainly reassuring to know that there's the other reason for the season. www.baxwrtr.com