‘Tis the season of peace and joy, or at least that’s what we're told from childhood on. The truth is that anybody who has ever had to go in a store--for anything--between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day knows that people are generally not in a good mood. Drivers lose the ability to drive. Shoppers are rushed, rude, and exasperated. People in general are not at their best.
Why is this? The crazy pace of modern life is a big part of the problem. We are expected to do more, faster, than ever before. There is also more stress than ever before, which definitely contributes to the problem.
On the other hand, this rude attitude has been around for a long time. One of my first memories of this time of year is being knocked down by a woman and her shopping cart. She didn't even apologize. I suspect the exhaustive, crazy, overwhelming feel of this season is mostly caused by the pressure to have perfect holidays, combined with guilt if you don't spend a large amount of money on perfect gifts, food, decorations, and clothing.
In other words, the winter holiday season has been hijacked by retailers. The more the pressure to spend, spend, spend (even on Thanksgiving Day!), the more money the big corporations can make.
Now I have nothing against retailers making money, but my humble opinion is that things have gotten way out of hand. The answer? Beats me. I just hope there is one.
Have a wonderful holiday season,and please don't let it get to you. The important thing is family and friends. And enjoying yourself!
Cheryel
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twitter: @cheryelhutton
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