Alan, a listener from Northway, Oxford, England sent in this question for discussion - “Is it excessive for the build up to Christmas to start in September, October and November? Is it a December thing?” Ah, the Christmas festive frenzy! William’s got a point: September to December can be like a shopping marathon – you start shopping early, stash gifts, often consuming them yourself, and then sprint at the end to buy more.  But Stuart’s onto something too. Those Christmas displays? They’re like tabloids – full of sensational nonsense. We should just say, “No thanks”  And that tat, Oh, that tat! People flaunt it like, “Look at my wealth – I’ve got a plastic snow globe!”  Stuart’s right – Christmas stock’s are like that old sweater in your closet: always there, never worn. Let’s voice our unhappiness!  So, here’s to September to December – a season of chaos, tinsel, and more “ho ho ho” than a caffeine-fueled Santa!  Heather, a listener in Ablington, Wiltshire, England sent in the second question for today - “Do you believe anyone when they say they don’t have any regrets?” Stuart always says he doesn't have any regrets, he sees it as a mindset thing. He consciously moves on. It’s often down to personal prioritising, that you end up with regrets because you’ve prioritised something else. It’s like when you’re standing in the queue at the chippy, right? You’ve got your eyes on that tray of golden, crispy chips, and you’re thinking, “This is it, this is the moment!” But then, just as you’re about to place your order, your mate Dave elbows you and says, “Oi, mate, they’ve got curry sauce today!” And suddenly, your whole world shifts. Curry sauce! It’s like the universe just handed you a winning scratch card. Now, priorities, they’re a bit like that. Life throws 'em at you, all unexpected-like. You’re there, juggling work, family, and trying to remember where you left your car keys. And then, out of nowhere, your brain goes, “Hey, remember that time you didn’t call your grandma on her birthday? Yeah, that’s a regret right there.” And you’re left standing in the queue of life, wondering if you should’ve ordered the curry sauce. But William, he’s got it figured out. He’s like a zen master of priorities. He’s standing on the edge of a cliff, wind in his hair, and he’s thinking, “If I could time-travel, would I tell my younger self to invest in Bitcoin or just buy more socks?” And you know what? He wouldn’t say a word. Because life’s a bit like a dodgy GPS – you take a wrong turn, end up in a field, but hey, at least you’ve got a nice view of some sheep. So, William’s got regrets, sure. Maybe he wishes he’d learned to play the ukulele or finally tried that pineapple pizza. But he doesn’t dwell on it. Life’s too short for that. Instead, he’s out there, chasing sunsets and making peace with the fact that sometimes, you’ve just got to choose between chips and curry sauce. What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to ⁠[email protected] We like to give you an ad free experience. We also like our audience to be relatively small and engaged, we’re not after numbers. This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends ⁠https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view⁠ , support our work through Patreon ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside⁠. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: ⁠https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message