“Tis the Season to be Shopping?”
Holidays, that time of year when families and friends gather to celebrate. Our year begins with a litany of times to be festive beginning with New Year’s Day and ending with Christmas.
Even the Federal Government recognizes 10-12 days each year which allows their employees time off to observe these special days.
We Americans love our time off, I mean holidays. However, I find that we do not always celebrate these special days, we actually are quite subservient to them. We seem to have a motive.
Years ago, I traveled to Puerto Rico for business and occasionally I found myself there when they were celebrating a holiday. Schools closed and buses, yes school buses, were used to transport people to parks in an effort to celebrate and enjoy their day.
Signs were hung on these vehicles, people were hanging from the windows shouting and laughing as they anticipated the fun they were about to have. Smoke filled the air as the grills and fires were burning to cook the feast for the meal.
I can remember thinking as I watched the frivolity how great it must be to really appreciate the nature and meaning of the holiday.
In these great United States we also appreciate the greatness of the holiday, but not the same as we have in the past. Sadly in todays world, the greatness of the day is at the end when the final ring of the register tells us of our sales and earning that we the people have gladly participated in.
Now please do not take out of context the previous statement. I am proud to live in a country where we can sell, buy, shop, and spend as we deem necessary. It is a great freedom to have the ability of leisure time on a day deemed a national holiday, however, I feel we have lost our vision when it comes to holidays.
Back in the days, late 60’s through the 70’s, I sold shoes in several retail outlets including a major department store. On Thanksgiving afternoon, after the turkey and dressing was consumed, the display people would come in and decorate for Christmas. This gave consumers the pleasure of enjoying the beautiful decorations for a month.
Tinsel, decorative ornaments, and stuffed elves garnished the fabulous tree, as it stood majestically in the corner for all to see. A fabulous way to get and keep people in the wonderful spirit of holiday buying.
Christmas music would play from the great speakers that filled the entire store with cheer as the multitude of people shopped and visited. The atmosphere was filled with gayety or Christmas spirit.
I must say as an employee that was subjected to the music and holiday spirit, day in and day out, by the end of the shopping season we were not only tired of the music and decorations, but couldn’t wait for them to come down.
My Mother would always say, “Too much of a good thing is not always good for you.” This definitely held true in this situation.
Santa Claus never ever came till the end of the Christmas Parade on Thanksgiving afternoon and his appearance signaled the START of the Christmas, holiday shopping season.
When he took his seat on that big chair at the local hardware store or mall, he didn’t get a break till Christmas Day when he was back home at the North pole with Mrs. Claus.
Today, Santa must be shaking his head because his travel schedule has changed quite a bit. He now has to leave home a few months earlier than normal, leaving Mrs. Claus to supervise the elves and the production of toys for the children of the world.
Back in the days of my youth and my goal to climb the ladder of success in the retail shoe market, we always anticipated the change of the weather to indicate the upcoming seasons.
Today as we pour into the malls across this vast country, the tee shirts and swim wear are still hanging on the racks as we put the heavy coats, jackets and boots on display. The Halloween candy has yet to become eaten before the candy canes of Christmas make their appearance into the vast halls of retail stores.
Traditions seem to be fading like John Wayne as he so stately rides his horse into the sunset. I for one long for the days when we waited in anticipation for the seasons to approach us in the time frame that allowed us to enjoy them.
As a young man on Thanksgiving Day, I would spend the morning bird hunting in the woods of southwest Georgia, the family would gathered for a feast at lunch and retire to the living room to watch Detroit Lions football. I never understood why Detroit played every Thanksgiving, but that was the tradition.
Usually after a nap, either because of the boredom of the football game or the gas heat in the room in which we were occupying, we returned to the woods for our afternoon hunt.
Never did the ladies rush to clean the kitchen only to scurry to the mall for shopping. We didn’t have a day called Black Friday, anyway why would they call it Black Friday that doesn’t sound like a fun day.
We enjoyed family time and the anticipation of the upcoming festivities of the best season of the year. The parties, the old friends, the good cookies and cakes , and the onslaught of those colorful holiday sweaters that we all love.
It seems that we can’t move time fast enough to satisfy our need for greed. I long for the old days when we had patience and waited for the seasons and then took the time to enjoy each and every one of them.
When you reach the age I have become time passes fast enough, so slow down and enjoy each day and each season.
Best Buy just sent me an email and said their Christmas Specials are out, gotta go!!
“Life Happens”
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