It can take a lot to turn someone into a grinch, really. Some of us resist it for quite a while. It can take years of cumulative events until someone like me finally crosses the line. This year I think I have. It's not that I hate the holidays; just all the baggage that comes with them.
I envy those who are immune to the depleted sunlight; I think that's where it starts for me. Something about arriving at and leaving work when it's dark for two months just saps the energy out of me. I'd think it would sap energy out of anyone, but of course there are exceptions. All I'm saying is that to start off with, I have a bit depleted energy and enthusiasm, and as a result, perhaps a bit less patience.
So a couple hours after getting to work, the sun edges up to great us, and I listen to people complain how it's not above 80 degrees anymore. Excuse me, isn't that what "winter" means? If it has the audacity to snow (which it only does a couple times in my area) I hear people who are even more outraged. I tire of people complaining about snow, or even the prospect of snow.
I don't mind the snow. I don't even resent the overly-hesitant drivers that forget how to drive in it every year. I do get tired of the truck & SUV drivers that think they are immune to sliding because they have four wheel drive, and then cause accidents because they're idiots careening along 20mph over the speed limit and have no idea what they're doing.
And it's not one single holiday shopper that has me turned against shopping during November & December. It's the culmination of all of them, and year after year. It's that EVERY single year it's like I'd better stock up on food and everything I can imagine or else I might have to spend an hour in line for a light bulb or gallon of milk while people cough and sneeze on me and their kids take joy in ramming their parents cart into mine. It's all the people that excel in making shopping into a cut-throat olympic event. What with the shoving, the cutting in front of people, and the glaring if you get to something before them . . . it's the whole show that gets on my nerves.
It's not that I despise holiday music on the whole, but when it's blaring on the loudspeakers & I already have a headache from all this, and the overwhelming smell of cinnoman that I'm allergic to that permiates the store . . .
You never hear them play slow or laid back music in stores. No, that could decrease sales. They play the fastest loudest music they can so that it either stimulates the hyper maniacs or makes your blood pressure rise or just want to get the heck out of there.
I like the holiday lights. The new place I moved into has a regulation about not having any holiday decorations up outisde of five days from the holiday, so that puts a damper on things. Can't put up lights on a weekend if it's more than five days before the holiday or that's a no-no. And you have to take them down before New Years. I put things up inside, but . . .
I dislike mandatory workplace secret santa exchanges where they claim you shouldn't spend more than $20, but everyone in the office spends $150 plus, so if you don't you look like the scrooge. I hate holiday parties you have to go to even though you already dislike your co-workers and have no desire to be around them, let alone having to put up withem without compensation. Some people you don't want to spend your free time with, no matter how drunk either of you gets. I get tired of the "complementary" holiday work lunches where they serve you left-overs from the cafeteria from two days ago under a heat lamp, and tell you how greatful you should be, and how this shows how much the company cares about its employees.
It's not one thing that gets to me; it's the whole collage, and the repetativeness of it, year after year.
I like the snow, soft-tempered Christmas songs, decorations and lights. Donating makings for Christmas for families in need, and cold animals left unwanted at shelters. It's just the rest of it I'd rather do without. Happy Grinchmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment