The
following essay was produced as part of my 2013 effort for the
November National Novel Writing Month effort. As such, please
understand that while I did give it a quick review, it has not
gone through the same proofreading and editing I normally try
to give all of the material posted on this site.
I
always make some mistakes. There are errors to be found throughout
this web site, and many exist despite dozens of attempts to correct
problems. That said, ask that you approach this material in the
spirit intended – a basic thought, slightly worked out and very
informally researched, delivered in the hopes of writing more
than 50,000 words by the end of November.
Thank
you.
~ ~
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It
seems to be worse this year.
The
pumpkin craze.
I
mean… it is everywhere.
(Seriously…
have you been in a Dunkin Donuts?)
Within
three miles of my home, I have a couple of Dunkin Donuts shops.
(You probably do as well.) I also have several other coffee joints.
Including all of these java huts, as I sit here in November of
2013 to write this, a partial list of available pumpkin items
includes…
Pumpkin
coffee
Pumpkin hot chocolate
Pumpkin latte
Pumpkin smoothies
Pumpkin bread
Pumpkin donuts
Pumpkin muffins
Pumpkin cookies
Pumpkin whipped cream
Now
this is, as I mentioned, a partial list. Amazingly… and
I actually took a drive this morning to check… as of yet, no sightings
of pumpkin juice.
Still,
it is pretty crazy.
(What
is not crazy are pumpkin whoopie pies… Arremony’s Quality Bakery…
jaw-droppingly awesome from a jaw-droppingly brilliant bakery.
We will not be making fun of those.)
What
isn’t hard to see is that fall themes and decorating are now at
a level to rival any of the seasons or holidays. You are as likely
to see inflatable ghosts and cornucopias in October and November
as you are to see an inflatable Santa in December. By no means
am I suggesting that these holidays have overtaken (or can even
approach) Christmas in terms of scope, hype, hysteria or monetary
measures. But, when you reach a point where Christmas overload
is a real thing, inflating a giant turkey on your lawn while stringing
up witch-themed exterior lights around the windows are nice touches
by those looking to exploit our mass consumerism in a new way.
Hey…
look… I’m not complaining. I bought the gingerbread Twix to try
them. (They were ok… are honestly, barely even that… not at all
great, and I wouldn’t miss them if I never had them again.) I
was in a Red Robin and tried a gingerbread shake. (AWESOME! Highly
recommended.) And I will soon have a forest of decorated trees
filled with inflatable penguins and such on my lawn.
I
enjoy the seasons… like the celebrations… love many of the decorations…
cherish the traditions… and participate in the consumerism craze.
All year round.
The
thing is… this year… it’s just all of the pumpkin.
Everywhere.
Pumpkin…
pumpkin… pumpkin… pumpkin…
There
has been pumpkin in the candy bars, and pumpkin in spreads for
crackers, and pumpkin side dishes for your holiday tables. Appetizers
and meals and desserts and snacks, while at the same time filling
the container in your car’s cup holder as you make the rounds
of holiday errands to get the pumpkin-themed goodies for the pumpkin-season
holiday events.
The
Great Pumpkin became a part of Peanuts legend more than
fifty years ago. And these days, Linus doesn’t have to wait for
an appearance… the great pumpkin is everywhere!
People
are buying the lattes and muffins. Many of them are delicious
(though I suspect many more are not).
And
many of those same people that cry and kick and scream in terror
mixed with fear mixed with disgust when Santa makes his first
appearance over Labor Day weekend I have found tend to be many
of the same people picking up an inflatable Frankenstein. One
man’s sleigh bells are another man’s jack-o-lanterns.
The
reality is, Linus is probably right: “There are three things I
have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics,
and the Great Pumpkin.”