Is Twitch and Grind the New Twist and Shout?

I had a true Epiphany the other day! Well, make that one partial Epiphany ... after days of waking up with a miserable pounding in my head, sore jaws and teeth, I reached for the phone. I was about to place a call to my wonderful, incredible dentist for a prescription of muscle relaxers, when - light bulb moment - I realized that I make this very same call, at the very same time, every single year.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

The nocturnal teeth clenching and grinding occur every year at the start of the holiday season. Which, I might add, begins earlier and earlier....ggggrrrrrrrr

Retailers trot out the Christmas stock displays the day after Halloween.

I am so over "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" and all of the commercialism that has ruined my true enjoyment of a pleasant annual wrap-up.

Most of us have so much "stuff" that we do not even know how to begin to feel true gratitude.

Take Thanksgiving: the mainstream American stuffs their body more than the gigantic turkey that weighs the dining table down to a groaning board. Then, "the day after" - or now, the "night of" Thanksgiving, people rush around like lunatics buying junk they simply do not need.

No wonder I clench my teeth!

This year, my classic bruxism was accompanied by the great eye twitch which went on and on for over 4 weeks. Folks, that is darned near a record for me - and I am no stranger to "the twitch".

I do not know why the holiday season brings out so much anxiety in me. Perhaps it is an internal command to be Happy! Be in love! Have lots of Stuff! 

I do not know. 

I do know that I do not like to be forced into doing anything. 

The beautiful holidays of my childhood have collapsed into heaps of stuff and debt ... gifts seem to be bought not out of love, but necessity or duty or force or guilt.

Hmm .... now I may be getting somewhere. Guilt, eh? 

Well, after all, I was raised Catholic!

Twitch. Clench. Grind.