It’s a Post –Halloween, Post-Election, Pre-Thanksgiving, Post-wife’s-birthday, Kind of Day OR How I Learned to Accept My Friends Who Voted For The Other Political Party

Fatherhood Friday

Is November over yet? As a kid, this was my favorite time of the year. I loved the crispness of fall. Halloween – nuff said. Thanksgiving was absolutely my favorite holiday of the year. And I was blissfully ignorant of politics.

Today, it looks a lot different. While fall weather used to mean tossing the football, jumping in leaf piles and getting some last bike rides in, as an adult it means yard work. Today it means lots of aches and pains and time and getting the house ready for winter. I don’t mean to sound like an old man, but I’m a bit embarrassed and how sore my body was from just cleaning up my leaves. Even if there was time afterwards to play football or ride a bike, I was physically incapable.

But, I did have the house looking sharp for Halloween. Which is a good thing because, as my Current Mom colleagues have noted, Halloween is now a 10-day holiday.  My son, who loves candy but hates to dress up in costumes (I know there ought to be a teachable moment here having to do with earning your rewards, but if you think about it, there really isn’t much to go on) at first couldn’t get enough. But then, well, how many parties – and how much candy – can a seven-year old absorb? At least he got enough candy that he didn’t notice I took about half of it to work; as the only person in my office with trick or treaters at home, my colleagues were counting on me.

Of course, the real reason none of us had any patience for the extended Halloween season is that we were already mentally fatigued by the elections. Like just about everyone I know, I’m just thankful that they are over. Living in the Midwest, we were at the epicenter of outside money, inside money, attack ads, and the whole nine yards. (Of course, we all had our fair share.) By the end I’m not sure I really cared who won or lost, so long as it ended.

I suppose my Republican friends didn’t feel quite so fatigued at the end.  But that’s okay. They really did deserve it. At least where I stand they generally ran better campaigns and had such a strong wind at their back that change was inevitable.  But to my Democrat friends who are once again threatening to move to Canada, just remember that nothing lasts forever. In some cases, it doesn’t even last more than two years. Though it looks like gridlock might have a longer half-life.

While the thought of more gridlock (and the campaigning for 2012 that has ALREADY begun) might actually make my brain hurt more than in the days leading up to the election, the real stress-inducer on the horizon is Thanksgiving.

I really used to love this holiday. Now, sadly, I can’t wait for it to pass. We’ll be traveling by plane this year, though we will hopefully mitigate that stressor by traveling on Thursday morning and returning on Monday afternoon. Nope, as fatiguing as travel might be, the thought of being with my family just doesn’t hold the allure it used to. No need to air the dirty laundry (all families have that, right?); suffice to say that extended family for four days in one location makes me long for the serenity leading up to the election.

As if all of this weren’t enough to make a guy crazy, work had me out of town for three nights this week, and working late the other two. On any other week that might have been okay, but unfortunately this happened to take place around my wife’s birthday.

While I thankfully didn’t forget it, I really didn’t give it its due. While its no substitute . . . Happy Birthday, honey. I love you!! At least next year, there won’t be an election.

(photo credit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/media/tired_man.jpg)

 

Comments

[Katherine]

I guess you can take the guy out of DC but you can't take the DC out of the guy. Elections just have that way of following you...

Happy birthday to your wife!

[JenBeee]

Our wedding anniversary is November 4, so it will always fall close to election day. I'm thinking my husband and I should start going on a long weekend trip every year to a place where there's no TV or internet so our anniversary can't be ruined by election fatigue.

Even though I vote democrat, I feel oddly zen about this recent election. Disappointed, sure, but not bitter. I think Americans feel comfortable with gridlock. You wouldn't think so, to hear the cries from all corners for a sweeping reform of this, that, or the other. Yak yak yak. I'm convinced that most of us are perfectly happy when our congresspeople bicker, posture, play procedural tricks on each other, and get involved in a scandal every now and then for our amusement--as long as they don't actually DO anything.

So, don't worry. On the downside, nothing is going to get done. But the good news is, nothing is going to get done.

[Karen]

I think the key to enjoying Thanksgiving to is to celebrate it with friends. I've been doing that for years, and it's an opportunity to cook together, drink wine together, be grateful together, and simply enjoy being together, along with the kids. Of course, that's what happens when you come from a bitterly broken family and no one claimed the holiday, so there's that to contend with.