Dartmouth Supermarket Is Already on to Valentine’s Day

Someone told me – actually, many people have informed me – that as you age, time seems to fly by. Boy, they weren't kidding! Wasn't it just 1976 last week? Oh, bother.

The Feeling That Time Is Speeding Up

Steve Miller wrote, "Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, into the future." Recent Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Kenny Chesney complained musically about "living in fast forward."

Time flies when you're having fun, but why rush things?

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Recent postings on my social media accounts blared the news of big concerts scheduled for late August and September 2026. But the chestnuts have yet to finish roasting on the open fire, and Jack Frost has only begun nipping at my nose. They tell me to plan now for next fall, or surely I will miss out.

When Holidays Start Too Early

In a desperate search for a must-have Christmas item that my wife "could swear" that she spotted at the Dartmouth Stop & Shop over the weekend, I found that Christmas had all but evaporated at the supermarket. The item itself was nowhere in sight.

What I found in its place were Valentine's Day chocolates and gifts.

Why is it that in July, we encounter Halloween? By August, Christmas stuff starts creeping onto store shelves. Pumpkin Spice hits in August.

From Christmas Straight to Valentine’s Day

Last year, the day after Christmas, I watched in amazement as Walmart work crews with forklifts quickly moved still-assembled and decorated Christmas trees to the back room, quickly replacing them with Valentine's Day plush and candy-filled cardboard heart boxes.

Less than 24 hours after Santa parked his sleigh, Christmas was back in the box, a distant memory, and it was Valentine's season at Walmart.

Can We Ever Slow Things Down Again?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all just hit the pause button, or at least "slow-mo" things and enjoy the holiday we have before us, before rushing on to the next?

How soon before the red, white, and blue Bermuda shorts are out?