Shopping frenzy diminishes true spirit
Campus Times
December 4, 1998
Every year, before the country has even celebrated the Thanksgiving
holiday, it seems that malls and retail stores across the nation are preparing
for the Christmas season.
Down come the turkeys, pilgrims and indians that graced the windows
of homes, and businesses and up go the 80-foot Christmas trees. Out comes
the strings of lights, louder becomes the holiday music that aggravates
retail workers everywhere, and longer and longer grow the lines for "Pictures
with Santa."
And all before we have even begun to clear the Thanksgiving leftovers
off the table.
Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays, but in recent
years I have begun to dislike this particular holiday.
First off, people just skip right over Thanksgiving in a big hurry.
We are not even done saying grace and people have started in on Christmas.
Thanksgiving should not be about going through the motions. It is an important
holiday too.
Holidays at my house have always been happy for the most part. We decorate
our tree while my mother plays the Kenny Roger's Christmas tape that we
hate over and over again, and then later that night after Mom has baked
the cookies, she comes out and rearranges all the ornaments so that the
tree looks "nice." This is what Christmas has always been about
to me. The smiling faces of people celebrating the blessings in their lives,
like family and friends.
My family never really went shopping together though and maybe this
is why my eyes were closed to the chaos that Christmas brings about but
I have definitely noticed a change in the heart of shoppers everywhere.
When I was younger, I remember that shopping was always a bit crowded,
but people never were rude or cut throat like they are now.
It has become all about who gets the biggest, best toys first, who
gets the parking space closest to the front, about who gets to the gift
wrap center first or who spends the most money. It was never like that with
my family.
People cram everyone and their dogs and their dog's dogs into the malls
to fight the crowds to make it to that one huge sale that has been advertised
since last February. These shoppers leisurely strolling through the malls
window shopping, but as soon as they arrive at the sale they begin to bitch
about how slow everyone is moving and complaining about how "don't
they know we are in a hurry."
"The sales clerk is not cheery enough, after all it is the holiday
season." "I can't believe that they don't have that new Furby
doll, don't they know that is in high demand, blah, blah, blah." It
is just complaint after complaint.
Well, maybe, just maybe that poor sales clerk has encountered some cranky
shopper much who bought the last Furby doll in hopes that his kid will be
able to boast that he/she got the last much-desired doll and that poor sales
clerk and all the people standing in line behind this jerk are tired of
the harassment and crankiness. If it is not understood know what I mean,
pick up a copy of the movie "Jingle All the Way." It is Hollywood's
version of reality.
Shoppers everywhere seem to forget what patience is and what it is like
to have a bad day.
They have forgotten that Christmas is about kindness, loving and being
good to one another.
So, please when shopping this season remember the reason and be nice
to the sales clerk.
Michelle Thornton, a junior journalism major, is features editor
of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at mthornto@ulv.edu.
