Happy New Year, or shall I say Happy Valentine’s Day?

It is now three days into the New Year, but there are only 37 days until Happy Valentine’s Day, so you should get cracking.

We have braved Christmas in October, but now stores have traded tinsel and Barbie ornaments for heart-shaped treats and pink-adorned gifts.

I understand that time is of the essence, but really, seeing someone being punctual is a little unusual, especially considering the country we live in. A procrastination nation.

For example, Congress knew about the looming fiscal cliff conundrum over a year ago, yet a deal was only manageable late at night on New Year’s Eve.

Also, the name “deal” may not be sufficient to describe the agreement Republicans and Democrats could manage to put together.  There are still more intense battles to come on the deficit and the debt ceiling.

In two months.

What did we expect? If the fiscal cliff deal was an essay for school, and I wanted to do it “Congress style,” then I would completely ignore starting the essay until two weeks before the deadline.

Without making a worthy attempt at knocking out the essay, I would start getting anxious and freaked out about making the deadline and tell all of my friends.

I would continue to be passive until two days before when I again freak out about the deadline. I would type my name and the date. Actually I would presumably write an earlier date on my paper, as I would want my teacher to think I had started this a long time ago.

Finally, I would finish the essay after hours of working the night before it is due. And by “finishing,” I would write the body paragraphs and ask for an extension on the introduction and conclusion, which I would find less important in creating a wonderful essay.

“Congress Style” is a trend I hope only lives through the end of this cliff hullabaloo. Imagine if all of these senators, representatives, and White House members were teachers. No student would have an assignment to do because the teachers would attempt to create lesson plans last minute and just decide to delay all action.

Everyone should be glad that school has not reached that point, but Congress really does need to change its fighting, politically- and ideologically-driven ways for a new mindset: one that takes action before the crazed and convoluted dilemma grows.

Let Congress take a hint from Hallmark, which in the past hour I spent writing has probably unloaded boxes gearing up for the Fourth of July.