Memorial Day...Earlier Every Year

Both my wife and I heard it was we drove to my part-time gig. A radio message from the DJ wishing us a good Memorial Day.

"Can you believe it?" I said. "I mean, it's only Friday afternoon." I turned to my wife and she was thinking the same thing.

"It comes earlier every year," she said.

I couldn't agree more.

Each year, we just live our lives, fulfill our day-to-day responsibilities and before you know it, it's Memorial Day. It arrives quick enough without the need to hurry it along. Normally, we'd go into the store on the Saturday before and we'd see the flowers and the flags, which is soon enough, but I'll bet you a dozen doughnuts that if I went into any store right now, Friday night, I would see flowers for sale along with barbecue supplies and little flags to adorn the graves.

The way things are going, we'll probably see sales for furniture and the increase in gasoline prices as early as the Thursday before. I mean, when, oh when will this madness end?

We saw kids heading home from school as we drove, kids who will enjoy the holiday by not attending class. Do they realize that only a mile away stores are stocking extra cases of soda and beer for something that won't take place for days...days. It's almost unimaginable.

And then I came home from work and realized I flew the flag today. The draw to celebrate earlier and earlier got to me without me even realizing it.

Yes, I suppose it's the world in which we live, a world where commercialism and the need to sell more stuff trumps common sensibilities. My only hope is those kids will one day see a time when things will make more sense. We can hope.