Where Did it All Go...

Christmas decorations are back in town. It’s that time of year again when the officials rush to lure Santa Claus a whole month early. Spoiler alert: they won’t succeed. The old man has his routine, and there’s nothing they can do about it.

I hate it when they jump the gun like this. I used to love Christmas—it felt sacred to me. Now? It’s like tying your shoelaces—just something to get over with so we can return to the rat race.

We’re such a weird species, I swear...

Lately, I’ve been watching YouTube shorts of Seinfeld, and every time I do, it pulls me back to my teenage years when I’d watch it daily. From what I know, the series was filmed in the ‘80s, and honestly, that feels like America’s peak.

I’m no fan of America; never wanted to go there. But if you ask me, they seemed to have nailed Christmas like no one else. It almost feels like they invented it.

We celebrated Christmas too, but back in the ‘90s, my country was going through some harsh economic times. None of us had the kind of Christmas we saw in the movies—none. But we celebrated anyway, and honestly, it was still damn good.

Families were tighter back then, and time felt almost tangible. Nowadays, even when we gather with friends or family, half the time is spent glued to a smartphone.

Which makes me wonder: how much of life’s passing moments do we really live consciously? I’d argue, not much.

As a teen, we’d meet up during the holidays. Sure, we had mobile phones, but they were mostly for emergencies. We’d set a meeting time, and show up on time, and once we were together, it was all laughter and pure, unfiltered fun.

Where did all that go?

We’re so divided now, despite the fake connectedness of social media.

Santa Claus felt real back then. The food tasted better. Snow blanketed the trees and alleys. Everyone had a Christmas tree. We were far less wealthy, driving basic cars, and wearing modest clothes, but no future era will ever match the joy we had.

I guess that’s why they say you can’t turn back time. Just my two cents.

Thanks for your attention,
Adrian