the fine art of gift-giving

Ahhhhhhh!  It's almost over!  The shopping mayhem!  The stressed-out shoppers who can't find their last few gifts!  The angry shoppers who are mad because we don't have the item they saw in our store two weeks ago!  The impatient shoppers who hover as we wrap their gifts because they are in a hurry to finish buying the other six gifts still on their list!

And then, after Christmas Day, once all the gifts have been opened and sometimes disappointment sets in...the RETURNS!  People returning all the things they don't like!  People yelling at me because I cannot process their return without a receipt or gift receipt!  People yelling at me when I tell them the amount of their gift receipt and their SHOCK that the giver only spent $25 on them!  People yelling at me when I cannot give them cash, only store credit!

One time, I had a woman scream at me and say, 'NOW I HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE I CANNOT RETURN THIS ($10, year old) BAG.'

Suffer?  Really?

Ahhhhhhhh!

Don't get me wrong, I ABSOLUTELY love helping customers pick out gifts for people who are hard to buy for or those who just simply need ideas.  I love helping little kids pick out jewelry for their mom, lotions for their grandmas, sweaters and perfume and scarves and necklaces for wives, toys and books for kids, blankets for babies, hostess gifts for the party.  I love giving ideas and suggestions and wrapping their packages up beautifully and thoughtfully for them.  I love it when people put THOUGHT into things.  But I feel sooooo many people are hardened when it comes to the art of gift giving.

There's so much more than GIFTS during the holidays, but it is also a longstanding tradition and it CAN be a lot of fun.  But having seen the stress levels of shoppers the few days before Christmas each year, it's just so, so so, so...what's the word I'm looking for....MATERIALISTIC.  I know I sound like Linus but it's true.

Just breeeaaaathe people!  Breaaaaathe!  If you're stressed, give a gift card.  Wrap it in a box and put their favorite candy with it.  Give them a gift card to their favorite restaurant.  Bake them some cookies.  Just please please please, FOR PETE'S SAKE, don't take it out on the store employees if you're stressed!

It's supposed to be my day off today.  But I have to go in.  But I'm off on Christmas.  Then I go in the day after Christmas.  To be there for all the returns.  And my next day off is New Year's Day.  I know I'm not alone.  There are millions of retail workers in the same boat.

I am closing up shop at 5pm on Christmas Eve.  And I will ENJOY my 40 hours outside of work.

Happy Holidays.

BE KIND TO RETAILERS!  Especially the ones who have been screamed at but still keep a smile on their faces.

Christmaaaaas!

I've been sounding rather down lately.  I'm okay, really.  Life is just soooo damn serious sometimes!

But it's Christmas.

And for the most part, people have been rather lovely this season.  Certainly people are pissed off and frustrated at the credit card fraud and compromise limiting access to their money.  But if one is to step back and properly assess a situation, one ought to send their FURY to the evil crooks and thieves out there in the world who cause this chaotic mess.  I've dealt with thieves for a majority of my working years.  There are plenty of them.  And they ruin and disrupt this world.

Greedy fuckers.  Ugh.

At the end of the day,  I can look in the mirror and smile because I'm a good person.  And hell if anyone else cares, I know that I contribute good to my little world as I know it.

I don't know when it became so, uh, uncouth to be a GOOD person in this world.  But if there's one thing I've learned through all these chaotic holidays, it's that THIS is the time to reconnect with all the GOOD people out there in this world.  Religion and belief systems aside, goodness and kindness and brother and sisterhood is what this season is all about for me.

Merry Christmas.

Sad news stories lately.

I've been reading so many terrible news stories lately, some local and some far from my community.  But nothing saddens me more than stories of those losing their lives to mental health issues.

http://www.today.com/books/ned-vizzini-dies-32-fans-mourn-its-kind-funny-story-2D11783145





I am so touched when people can take their mental health struggles and turn it into something touching and beautiful.  'It's Kind of a Funny Story' was one of those.

So tragic.  

Money.

I hate money.

I hate money problems.


I hate that everyone around me has plenty of it and really do not know what I mean when I say I am broke.

I need to find a higher-paying job.  But I can't deal with the stress and anxiety that comes along with it.

I need a raise at my job for all the things I have taken on.

I need cheaper insurance.

I talk about all this stuff with a therapist, but I had to cancel last session because I did not have the $30 copay.  She told me next time I cancel less than 24 hours from the appointed time (I canceled 22 hours from the appointed time) that she would charge me $70 for a missed session.

I don't think some people get what being financially poor is really like.

I work so hard at finding a life balance, but the MAIN STRESSOR continues to be

$$$$$$$$$

I went to the doctor because my blood pressure is high again.  She told me to find another job because the stress is too much for me.  She told me to take a vacation.

I used to load up on Ativan with a former psychiatrist.  She told me when I get stressed to just take a break or just read a book since I worked in a bookstore.

Some people have no friggin idea.

We are going to try and move when our lease is up in spring, and there are some cheaper rents a little north.  But there is gang activity and shootings.  What's the right thing to do?

Oh well.  Guess I'll get ready to go into work on my day off again.