Shopping: the least enjoyable part of the holiday season
By Kassie Kallner
IV Leader, Dec 7, 2006
Many people enjoy the excitement and rush of holiday
shopping. They wake up early on “Black Friday” and stand in long lines just to
get that special loved one the bargain of a lifetime. Some of the best sales
occur during Christmastime.
And what’s not to love about holiday shopping? The spirit and
joy of Christmas are in the air, right?
Wrong. I hate shopping during the holidays—no, hate is the
wrong word. I despise holiday shopping with a perpetual, undying passion.
Here is just why I would rather eat roaches while sitting in
a pool of snakes than go shopping during the holidays.
First of all, there are the lines. Look around. Which do you
see more of--silver bells, snowflakes or singing carolers with rosy cheeks?
Trick question—the answer is lines. Everywhere you go during the holidays you
see lines. You get done waiting in one line, you have to wait in another.
Whether it is waiting in a line of traffic for 40 minutes
trying to get into the Peru Mall or 20 minutes in the grocery store to buy a
bottle of soda, expect to wait, then wait some more.
Then there is my claustrophobia. This is a problem that
manifests itself only during the holidays. Yes, I value my personal space. So
when there are 20 people in an aisle trying to move in different directions and
a large sweaty man reaches over me, shoving my head in his arm pit, I get a
little frustrated.
It’s also frustrating between store employees and crazy
shoppers trying to communicate. This should be a lesson to any of you who have
yelled at a poor checkout person that is trying to do their job. People who work
in the service industry, particularly in grocery and retail stores, are
overworked and underpaid during the holidays. So when an angry holiday shopper
yells at a cashier because a video game was marked the wrong price, which is
never the fault of person who is getting yelled at, it does not work out for
anyone involved.
Let’s not forget the crazy moms — I do not mean this to be
offensive, but there are definitely some crazy moms out there who apparently
believe that if their child does not get the newest Elmo doll or PlayStation 3
that the child will die.
They go to extreme lengths like waking up at 3 a.m. and
waiting in line in 20 degree weather. Then when they get in the store, they kick
and push until they get what they want— what a great example to be setting for
their children.
And finally the most frustrating thing about holiday shopping
— shopping is not really what the holidays are about. A few weeks after
Christmas, the people you worked so hard to buy gifts for probably will not
remember what you got them because it has either already been returned to the
store, re-gifted, or sent to its permanent resting spot in the basement.
What they will remember, however, is the time you spend with
them, and how truly special it is to be with family and friends during the
holidays. So I will leave you on that slightly more positive note.
But remember, if you see me in a store during the next month,
don’t say hi. I am probably not in a good mood.