I have something to admit.  I’m listening to Christmas music right now.  I’m not proud to be listening to Christmas music in August, but regardless I thought I’d write a blog post on the topic.

I’ve heard that animals do weird things during solar eclipses, and while there may not be an eclipse today, I’m pretty sure my brain is experiencing a similar phenomenal reaction.  There’s a smokey haze blanketing the sky this morning, and apparently it’s blocking both the sun from shining and my mind from thinking.  I’m no psychologist or medical professional, but I’m starting to think that Christmas-In-August Syndrome might be a real thing.  I’m pretty sure it manifests itself differently depending on the individual, but the primary symptom of the illness is using the imagination to escape to a different season of life.

I’ve been unemployed for a few months now, and it’s been an interesting period of time.  Job searching is no fun whatsoever, and neither is the feeling of being stuck in between seasons of life.  It’s becoming more apparent each and every week that I’m ready to move on to the next chapter, and it’s probably the reason I’m listening to Christmas music right now.  Fittingly, I’m on the verge of finishing a poetry book called “Somewhere In Between”.  As I wrap up this collection of poetry, I’m hoping to wrap up my similarly themed season of life.

While I don’t think it’s an entirely negative thing to dream of Christmas in August, I think it’s important not to let it detract from the beauty of the present.  The last few months have been absolutely incredible and wonderfully freeing.  I’ve had lots of time to write, reflect on life, and adventure with friends and family.  I honestly wouldn’t have wanted to spend my time any other way and I’m grateful for every day of my life.  Christmas is great, but I’ve got a lot of awesome memories to make before December actually hits!