Gone Early

As my wife and I were walking down our street this week the first sightings of Christmas decorations were spotted.

“Them at number 23 have gone early,” we seemed to simultaneously comment.

Every year we look for the early birds “going early” and every year we judge whether it’s a touch too early or not.

We’ve said the same thing for years…

“They get earlier every year, they do.”

“Channel 5 have gone early with their Christmas films this year.”

“Zoe Ball has gone early with playing Mariah Carey on the radio.”

We seem to have an issue with people going too early with their Christmas celebrations. Indeed, no sooner have the Pennywise masks left the supermarket shelves and the After Eights are stocked up. I do cringe at the thought of consumerism that is involved which in turn makes us all go too early.

However, I don’t blame anyone for wanting to bring forward the festive cheers. The last few years have been tough and, just this year alone in the UK, we’ve had political unrest with a few different Prime Ministers, a cost of living crisis, the Queen’s passing with a few weeks of mourning and Neighbors getting cancelled. It’s been a strange year.

So when I woke up listening to a Michael Bublé Christmas classic this morning I did feel a little cheer and a festive spirit lift me. It was about 6:45 and Finlay, my youngest, had asked Alexa for Christmas songs. I wouldn’t have chosen to be awake so early on a Saturday with no school or work to get up for and Finlay hasn’t yet mastered how to ask Alexa to turn the volume down. But if I’m to get woken up by anything, it could’ve been a lot worse than Bublé.

And I can just imagine what the neighbors will have been saying…

“Shay and Lou have gone early this year.”