Apparently a pit-bull puppy in Louisiana bit off the toes of a little baby. That’s disturbing. What is more disturbing? The fact that most of the people who call regarding the case are more concerned about the welfare of the pit-bull rather than that of the child. Scary.

I crave this time of the year. Colorful lights, beautiful music, garland and shiny wrapping paper and warm feelings all around. So, why is it I can’t wait for Christmas to be gone? I haven’t even erected my tree yet. No lights or decorations or wreaths or anything. I’m completely blah this year about the holiday season and I hate it. I want to be jolly and mirthful and all that crap, but it ain’t happening. All I can think of is all the responsibility and obligation behind the holiday. Visiting family, buying presents, sending out cards, well-wishes and parties. I wish I could hibernate like the bears during the month of December. It’s so friggin depressing. It wasn’t like this when I was younger. Hell, I used to listen to Christmas music in the middle of July just in anticipation of the holiday. So what’s different now that I am an adult?

I know. What do I have now that I didn’t have when I was a kid? Bills. Tons of bills. Electric, telephone, insurance, etc. When I was a kid I only had two people to buy presents for. Mom and Dad. Now I have friends, parents, a girlfriend, etc. When I was a kid my mother baked cookies and decorated the house and made everything seem so warm and cozy. But my mom isn’t here. She’s in another city hundreds of miles away. But at least I have my mom. Some of my friends don’t even have their parents this holiday season and that depresses me even further.

I’m really not trying to be a downer. It’s just that the world is moving so fast now that I am older. It’s hard to slow down and appreciate the things that meant so much to me years ago. Like the song says, you can’t go home again.

The moment you walk out to your car in the morning and see your passenger window smashed out.

The moment you walk out to your car in the morning and see your tire is flat.

The moment you turn the ignition of your car and nothing happens.

The moment you are driving down the road and your Check Engine light comes on.

The moment someone you respect utters a vicious racist, sexist or religious slur.

The moment right before your girlfriend/wife emerges from the bathroom to tell you whether the stick turned pink or blue.

The moment you hear that the one you love has been sleeping with someone else.

The moment right before you have to tell the one you love you are in love with someone else.

The moment Dwight Clark catches the pass from Joe Montana to beat the Cowboys in the ‘82 NFC Championship game (copious tears, my friend)

The moment you pass a cop while doing 80 in a 55.

The moments after passing said cop that you watch your rear view and wait for him to pull out of his cozy little hiding place, switch on the blue lights and chase your ass down.

The moments you look for an exit ramp to elude said cop who you are sure will be coming over the hill at any moment.

The moment after you have spent twenty minutes talking to the most beautiful woman you have ever seen and realize that you had a booger in your nose the entire time.

The moment you hear your father cry for the first time.

The moment when you realize that your parents are getting old.

The moment your heroes disappoint you.

The moment you realize that the person you were so in love with was not at all who you thought they were.

The moment you tell a woman you are undeniably smitten and would follow her to the ends of the earth and you can see in her face that her feelings are not the same.

The moment a woman tells you that you are the love of her life and you know that your feelings are not the same.

The moment a person you were crazy about years before comes back into your life and you realize that that wonderful feeling she/he gave you is gone.

The moment you write an email, expressing your true emotions, press send and realize that you should have said nothing.

The moment you write an email, press send and realize that you sent it to the wrong person.

The moment you read the last page of the greatest book you ever read and wonder if another book will ever make you feel that way (Same moment applies to movies and music)

The moment the second plane hit the Twin Towers and you realized this was no accident.

The moment romance turns into routine.

The moment Sally tells Harry, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m not your consolation prize.”

The moment you hear someone has passed and you instantly recall your last conversation, the briefness of it, and perhaps the harshness of it.

The moment Miles died and Dizzy and Sarah and Carmen and Art (both Blakey and Farmer) and Anita and Ruth and Mr. B and Frank, Dean and Sammy. The moment we realized that the era we hold dearest is slowly fading away.

And finally, the moment you decide to tell someone how you really feel about them only to have them speak first…and tell you how they feel for someone else.

In fairness, I guess I should post some of the moments I love next.