I have a question to ask so I know it's not just me

[blues90]

Where ever you live in this country called the USA have things changed , not only the landscape with all the malls and other crap that now peppers then entire country in a sterile sort of hapless pride but how about the people .

I ask because I have not been out my part of this country in 24 years other than a state away years ago .

Here over the years and with a rapid change in the last 7 years things not only do not look or feel the same but the people have somehow adapted the landscape as if it's perfectly ok with them .

There has not been any real holiday spirit for years and I don't mean presents but the spirit whether you are religous or not , I'm not so I wouldn't know about that .

Have you noticed it or is it just me or perhaps it's just getting older but I feel that's not the issue .

[Breeze54]

1. I see the holiday spirit aound where I live...

but I don't live in a city. I live in a very small farm/ranch town.

They don't go all out on garland or wreaths here either but people are just mostly 'nice'.

Maybe because we don't get a lot of visitors here, just drive throughs.

Yeah, we have some idiots, like any place but not that many that I know about.

Even the teenagers, for the most part, are polite and funny to talk to. ;)

[rwheeler31]

2. It is sad the holidays are a chore now.

[southerncrone]

4. I have to agree. I really dread them every year now.

Over-consumption on every level. The spirit of all holidays has been replaced by a frenzied, one-upsmanship orgy. It sickens me. :puke:

[Gloria]

3. I overheard two Walmart workers wondering where Thanksgiving had gone...

In between the ridiculous Halloween oversell and the Christmas oversell, the wonderful Thanksgiving holidy, which is my favorite, seems to have gone by the board. I don't see any huge Pilgrim and turkey displays around.

Thanksgiving is so nice.....no buying, no big hype, a real family day.

The rest of the crap I ignore. And that includes Christmas. I'm much happier not being sucked into that vortex....

[nightrider767]

5. I think the landscape has changed significantly

This country is growing very sterile, and people are becoming more isolated.

Franchises have taken over the food and merchandising industry, so most towns look the same. Even in the unique sections of towns, it's all the same stuff.

We've killed all the Holidays in this country.

Thanksgiving: Food eating competition followed by football.
Christmas: Show love by spending
Saint Pat's day: Booze fest
Cinco De Mayo: Booze fest

Course Cinco De Mayo may not count. From what I've heard, it's not a particularly well know event to Mexicans. So it may have to fall under the category of "Holidays we invented and then destroyed".

Lot's a gloom out there, but still lots of hope.

This country is filled with great people and I'm proud to be one of them.

I'm very hopeful. We're just waiting on a leader to inspire us.

I'm sure on will come along.

[undergroundpanther]

6. slow soul suicide

That's what I see. In the suburbs. In the cities too.But at least in some areas of Baltimore there are little underground havens,like H&E and poetry workshops,anarchist bookstores,gatherings,and people who open up private spaces with microphones and instruments and pot luck feasts...Likewise in my home it is also an asshole free zone.It's a haven for the sensitive spirits from the competitive emptiness,the bully culture, that emotion numbing drive to put oneself into narcosis, away from the shallow drivel,distracting media, pointless consuming and horrible isolation of life in this culture.

On Halloween(my fave holiday) We had about 15 people over here..all friends we had a bonfire in my backyard. It was fun.It was peaceful,no work interferences,we all knew each other already, we had good conversations,a spiritual circle and for awhile the drunken booze fests and bullshit and games idiots play in all the usual places other people go on Halloween were avoided and in my yard it all was far,far away from us, the only reminder was cop sirens in the distance. Our circle was warm the fire flickering light seen through the trees when we walked away to get wood from the brush pile cast shadows that inspired our spook stories and side splitting offbeat esoteric humor I am sure nobody but a golden dawn ceremonial mage or hermetic practitioner would "get" as the crystal moon in the crisp fall air rode high past the witching hour as we all howled like the strange beasts we are together warming ourselves by the flames eating blackened marshmallows like it was a scene from Macbeth...