The Holiday Spirit

Truthfully, I hate the holidays. Or, at least the way we celebrate them in the U.S. I hate presumptiously wishing people I don't know a Merry Christmas. I hate the excess. I hate buying people presents because I'm supposed to, when I know whatever it is that I get them is going to be something that they don't really need or want. I hate running around. I hate frenzy. I hate fakey, happy, sacchriney people who are too loud and who need to stop bathing in their cologne.

I hate that during this special time of year in my crappy retail job I've had people stomp away in a huff because I was helping someone else or tell me I'm incompetent because I can't find what they're looking for based on the description, "It's blue."

To be fair, I hate these things in May as much as I hate them in December. But, Christmas as we celebrate it today, right now, here in America has become about these very things. In a typical working day I easily recommend upwards of three hundred dollars worth of merchandise that I know is then bought. "Ya, I think he'd like that," they say, dropping whatever it is into their baskets.

We spend the month of December trying to show we care about the people in our lives in this "most special" time of year by buying or making things for them. This month of "specialness" brings out quite literally the best and the worst in everyone. A coworker of mine, who was wearing a Christmas themed sweater, a christmas-y headband and candy cane earrings was asked point-blank, in a serious, non-ironic way where her Christmas cheer was when she wasn't chipper and cheer-cheer-cheerful.

Last year, 3 coworkers had books thrown at them by upset customers. Thrown at them. I've been bitched at about the lines being too long, about there not being enough staff, about being sent to information for an answer to their "quick question" and about the prices. People have no problem telling you that the wait is too long, or that your coworkers are morons. (And they always complain about the people I know aren't morons. Like, the ones with Ph.D.s or the ones who are bilingual.)

But, then I've also seen customers let little old ladies cut in front of them in the check-out line. I've had polite people who have seriously asked for advice and who have listened. People who have joked about the wait good naturedly and people who have honestly said, "Stay sane," and "I hope you have a good day, too."

Article Author: Katharine Donelson

Katharine Donelson is a student of Linguistics, Communication and Welsh. She currently lives with her formerly feral cat and spends her time learning Welsh vocabulary, listening to music, watching films, photographing the local scenery and maintaining her blog The Film Noir Experience. …

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