Turn, turn, turn... Or how people don't live the moment but await the date.

When I was an itty-bitty baby, like 3 or so, my mom took me to the amusement park.  She took me lots of times afterwards but THIS one stuck on my mind (and 30 years is quite a memory marker), so I want to share with all of you.

So, we're at the Amusement Park, and we go through the gate, this is not like Disney World or anything, back then it was like (for you outside CR) a VERY big state fair that never went away.  EVER.

So, they had all these rides for children and some for grown ups, it was (back then) mostly for the kids.

So again I go through the gate to this magical place and I see for the first time ever, all these rides, it was just amazing.

We had a Ferris Wheel, we had little "lady-bug" rides, a carrousel, a rollercoaster that was SCARY (the scariest thing is it is still running), and a whole bunch of other rides.

So I jumped in on the first one, and while I was riding the carrousel, I was looking at the next ride, joyfully awaiting the moment the carrousel stopped and I was able to run and queue up for the bumper cars; once on the bumper cars, same thing, I wanted to just finish fast so I could go to the ride-boats.

My mom took me aside of course (mostly because she didn't want to run from ride to ride, but also to give me one of the greatest lessons ever) and said "You aren't really enjoying yourself on the rides because you are waiting to jump on the next one, you're missing the MOMENT!"

Back then it really didn't mean much to me, it was just a "OK slow down and enjoy THIS ride, once off, I'll figure out what comes next", but little by little her words started to sink in and give me more context.

These days, I extrapolate a bit more.  Maybe it's just because I've grown older, but I highly doubt it.  Lately I see people (not just commerce) RUSHING towards the holidays, and by holidays I mean Christmas.

As far back as August I saw people on Facebook asking if it's too soon to start putting up ornaments because they "JUST LOVE Christmas". 

AUGUST guys, AUGUST.  FOUR months ahead. 

I've even heard of people Caroling already, you know singing Christmas Songs, in OCTOBER.

I hear some say that it's because in Latin America, we don't really have holidays between September and December (that said most of Central America Celebrates independence in September but I digress), but damn it people, by the time December comes your tree will be wilted, you will seriously want to murder someone for singing Carols, and the gifts will have probably got up and found a different family to be delivered to.

Yes, I LIKE Christmas, I enjoy Christmas, but things have a time, a place and a proper setting.

Enjoy your moments people, they don't come back, and once you fast forward to the places you "love" and miss those "less special", you are the only one to blame when you fail to grow from experiences, living ahead of your time, and enjoying none of it and this is precisely what you pass down to your children, a feeling of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and not living IT.