The Popcorn Stand: Hallowthanksmas and the Fourth of July
Over the next few days it’s going to be a hundred and way too much outside, so of course I’m already thinking about Hallowthanksmas, that two-month celebration we now celebrate in American in which we’ve basically combined Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas into one.
I haven’t seen a Wal-mart or Target commercial advertising back-to-school clothing yet, but I’m sure they’ve already hit the air as they normally do sometime right around after the Fourth of July. Those back-to-school clothing commercials remind me that Hallowthanksmas is right around the corner as the stores normally start putting up their Halloween candy displays around the second week of August.
I’m really hoping to see one of those Balsam Hill Artificial Christmas Tree commercials telling me about the tradition of Christmas while its a hundred and way too much outside over the next few days.
I remember those commercials popping up all over the place two years ago during July, but didn’t see them last year during this time and I missed them.
But as Yogi Berra would say “Only In America” can Hallowthanksmas be celebrated and become a year-round thing. This is a week late since I went on my old fuddy, duddy rant last week in this Popcorn Stand but I’ve written many times before I don’t know if this is the greatest country in the world.
I think at times we’re the greatest country in the world. I think we can be the greatest country in the world. I think we’re the most unique country in the world. So if I was to make an argument that we’re the greatest country in the world it would be because of our uniqueness.
I’ve also written many times before I really don’t understand why people come to this country. I’m not talking about your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.
No throughout my life I’ve worked with and come across many people from other countries who chose to come here who were doing just fine in the country they came from. Maybe even better.
And when I ask them why they came here they really can’t give me a definitive answer. They use the same jingoism terms about freedom and opportunity when they talk about why they came here. But I mean didn’t have freedom and opportunity in the countries they came from?
Maybe they came because they have the chance to celebrate Hallowthanksmas, I dunno. Maybe it’s best explained by Justin Barber, a Carson High student-athlete I interviewed several years ago when I worked for the Nevada Appeal in Carson City, Nev.
Notre Dame recruited him as a swimmer and he had just singed a letter of intent with the prestigious university. When I asked him why he chose Notre he replied, “It’s Notre Dame.”
So maybe someday when I ask somebody who was really doing just fine in their home country on why they came to America they’ll reply, “It’s America.”
And there’s no place in the world I’d rather live than America. Even in today’s climate. Depending on who you talk to and their political persuasion we’re either heading to becoming some kind of socialist, third world-type country or something or other or some kind of fascist, third-world type country or something or other.
It’s really hard to have perspective today. I mean, of course, we can’t take our freedom for granted. But even though we’re heading to becoming a socialist, third world-type country or something or other or a fascist third-world type country or something or other, I still believe in the strength of this country.
I just saw a photo over the Associated Press of Ron Desantis and Joe Biden sitting together. I mean that’s got to mean something. That’s got to say something about the strength of this country, how we won’t to carry on together in the most difficult of times no matter how much we disagree or what we think of each other.
And in America we still have Hallowthanksmas. I mean in a silly way that’s got to mean something as well. I mean in the most unique country in the world we’ve taken these holidays and made them our own, good and bad.
So here’s to America. And here’s to Hallowthanksmas.