Why Dan Listens to Christmas Music
Starting in September

Yes...by the time you first see this little article, I'll have been listening to Christmas music for over a whole month already! (starting 1 Sept 2014).

Why?

Well, it goes back to an experience I had in 1998. I had been assigned to the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC) to take a three-month Advanced Program Management course. We were living in Dayton, Ohio, but DSMC is at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The problem, as I saw it, was two-fold:

  • I would be away from my wife and kids for three months, and
  • the course started in mid-September, and would finish on 18 December – ONE WEEK before Christmas!

I was complaining to Gaye about how I was going to miss all the decorating and Advent celebration and getting ready for Christmas, and she came up with a solution! We got out our artificial Christmas tree, and decorated it (and the whole inside of the house) for Christmas at the beginning of September, so I could feel included! (Thanks, Gaye!!) The kids were o.k. with it, too. (Anne was 5, and Allen was 3.)

And, of course, part of that early preparation was music! I've always loved Christmas music, and I had so much fun listening for nearly four months, that I've made that a personal tradition! My rule for myself is that I will NOT listen to Christmas music UNTIL September...but on the 1st of September, it's playing!