So here it is, in case you were wondering: I'm not shopping today.
A few people have asked, so I'm just going to lay it out there. I'm staying home today. I'm going to drink coffee — probably with a little something distilled added to it — in my bathrobe until about noon. I'm going to enjoy hanging out with my wife, Chantal, our two kids, Asha and Elijah, and my parents, Hank and Joan, who are visiting from Deep River.
My sister, Angela, and her partner, Duane, might even drive up for the day from Toronto with their newborn daughter, Emma, or as I like to call her, my little Sprout. Please keep that on the QT, though, it's supposed to be a surprise for Nonna and Nonno.
It will only be the second Christmas since Chantal's mother, Laura, passed away, as well, a loss that still carries a sting, so we will spend a moment to think on her, too.
It'll be a slow day, a day to plug into family and recharge that battery — drained near to empty after pouring so much love and energy into making Christmas special.
I know some of you will be hitting the stores, maybe for the novelty of being able to do it, in Greater Sudbury, on Boxing Day. I don't harbour you any ill-will for choosing to shop the day after Dec. 25, as I expect you could care less that I choose not to.
I also know some of you oppose the very idea of Boxing Day shopping on principle, perhaps on moral grounds, perhaps because you see it as symptomatic of an overly consumerist culture. Many of you feel somewhat betrayed that Mayor Brian Bigger and council voted to deregulate shopping hours in the city.
Given council's argument is that, despite not meeting the terms of the referendum, the majority of residents want more freedom to shop, I understand how you feel. Strictly speaking, the referendum didn't pass.
The thing is, I think the mayor's probably right. We can lament all day that things aren't the way they used to be; we can pine for a culture and a world-view that once was, but I think we can all admit the world has changed, our culture has changed.
That I think the mayor's right that most people want the choice to shop doesn't mean I believe the malls will be packed today, necessarily. I'm curious myself to see how many people actually do drag themselves out of a holiday hangover to go shopping.
My guess is, the traffic will be moderate. I think when Bigger says most of us want the stores to set their own hours, what he really means is most of us want to have the option of being able to shop, if we feel like it (ital.). And a lot of us won't.
It's all about choice. If there's one thing we in the West demand, one thing most of us feel is a new fundamental right, it's choice. We've been schooled to believe we always have one, that we don't have to be content with our lot.
In some ways, that's good advice, to push the boundaries. In other ways, it's left us with unintended consequences.
That's the nature of choice. The moment before is full of possibilities. The moment after is full of consequences. It's a law of the universe.
And we've seen that law reflected in the news recently.
Look at the choice Joe Cimino made when he decided to quit his job as the NDP's Sudbury MPP six months into the job. Look at the choice Glenn Thibeault made when he decided to quit his job as the NDP's Sudbury MP, swap his New Democrat orange for Liberal red, and go after the MPP seat Cimino left empty.
Look at the choice Premier Kathleen Wynne made when she decided to appoint Thibeault as the party's candidate in Sudbury, rather than hold an open nomination. Look at the choice hopeful candidate Andrew Olivier made in holding a press conference about it.
Look at the choice most of the Sudbury Liberal Riding Association executive made in response, telling Wynne that after the byelection she could find herself a new executive.
Possibilities and consequences.
Today, I'm making a choice, too. I'm going to enjoy spending time with my family. I'm going to enjoy lingering over my coffee. And I'm going to think about the consequences tomorrow.
Merry Christmas to you.
