Columnist reflects on holiday rush and the lost charm of old-fashioned shopping

With All Saints' and All Souls' days over, the run-up to Christmas now feels like a non-stop ride, a columnist writes in the Mindanao Times. The piece, published under the column "Honoring My Mother," reflects on the familiar unease that returns each year once November begins.

The writer likens the period to a bus that has just left the station with no more stops before its destination. The initial near-panic, the columnist says, soon gives way to a quiet acceptance that the season has begun.

The column then turns to how holiday preparations have changed. While friends point out that online shopping and other modern methods have made the season more convenient, the writer argues that something has been lost. Standing in long grocery lines and watching other shoppers, the columnist suggests, was part of absorbing the holiday atmosphere.

The writer questions whether convenience has made people too laid-back, and argues that the older, step-by-step routines still make sense, at least to older generations. To the columnist, many modern conveniences have become hurried transactions with little enjoyment, and "the thrill of the hunt" may have faded along with the old ways.

The piece closes on a note of acceptance. The writer concedes that older people are now "just passengers" and suggests that learning to sit still and let the season unfold can ease a restless mind.