I don't know about all of you, but I'm not a big fan of the “Christmas season starts after Halloween” people.
I personally think Thanksgiving is the best holiday. To me, it's the only holiday that comes to mind that hasn't been entirely tainted by commercialism and misplaced importance.
Why does Christmas come after Halloween? Well, the easy answer is because it's the next holiday that has you breaking out your wallet for reasons both justifiable and unjustifiable.
A holiday that is simply about being thankful for what you have and enjoying food and fellowship with family and friends is just too pure for our capitalistic, commercialist society. If you're thankful for what you have, why would you want to go out and spend a bunch of money on what you don't have?
Anyway, Thanksgiving is the best. Moving on.
You all know the song. Regardless of the way I feel about things, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Harrison County. Fun fact: That song was written by the Music Man himself, Meredith Willson, the native son of my hometown of Mason City, Iowa. He also wrote my school's fight song, but you probably don't know that one.
Logan's Shiverfest and Dunlap's Shop Hop, along with the opening of Dunlap's Historic Wax Nativity, both took place this past Friday, and there are many more events to come. Keep checking the paper's “In Brief” section to see what's coming up, and after they have taken place check out the photos we take at all of these events. There will be plenty of Santa stops, Christmas decorations, smiling faces and steaming hot cocoa to go around for the foreseeable future.
But first, I beg you all to spend some time being thankful for what you have this Thanksgiving. Then, when it is time to open the pocketbook, please put our local businesses at the top of your list and support your neighbors this holiday season.
If we're going to spend big and have wide eyes for the things we don't have, let's do it our way and not their way. Amazon and Target will always be there, but your local stores won't be if you don't lend them a helping hand this holiday season.
I'm very thankful for anyone who takes the time to read my silly column. Have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
