....but I saw it up close and personal today. It brought out the cynic in me - a creature I try hard to keep under control.
So....I'm driving to the hospital today at my customary time of around 5:15 a.m., and my route takes me past the local mall, WalMart, and other variety stores. All I can say is how amazed I was at the line of traffic waiting to turn into those places to take advantage of all the post-Thanksgiving sales. I guess some people like the thrill of the hunt, huh?
Not me!!!! I won't even go near the mall on the weekends between now and Christmas, with the exception of sneaking into Barnes and Noble for a mint hot chocolate; their entrance at our particular mall is in one of the 'quieter' sections. My shopping will be done during the week.
Anyway, I don't understand how the human mind works and how so many of us have become grasping and greedy for material things. I heard different stories from health care professionals and patient's families today about these early morning forays to get the bargains. Earlier this week the husband of one of my co-workers bought that new X-box that just came out; as he bought his own, he also bought another one, went home, listed it on E-bay, and sold it for $800, making a VERY tidy profit. Another worker at the hospital spent part of her shift trying to sell the five extra "travel" DVD players her husband picked up this morning.
I keep thinking of the 'what ifs'. What if there's a kid somewhere who worked his or her whole summer saving a bit here or there for that new X-box game system? And, couldn't get it because of all the Joe Schmucks in the world who decided that turning a tidy (huge) profit on these game systems was the way to go? The way I hear it, the X-box has sold out all over the country in the stores and won't be available again till February.
Same with the DVD player. What if there are families out there who can't afford much but decided they would splurge on this gift so the kids would have a way to watch movies at Grandpa and Grandma's house while they were visiting because the grandparents didn't have a VCR or DVD player (Believe it or not, there are still people who don't have 'em!) And, what if they were the person in line behind the person who just picked up five of those things?
My son, Kirk, relayed a story yesterday as we sat around the table. He said there had been a listing on eBay earlier this week - some guy apparently listed an X-box *box* for sale and believe it or not, the BOX sold for $1000. When the customer found out he'd gotten nothing but the box, he complained of fraud, and was told by all parties involved that there was nothing that could be done...it had been advertised as the box, nothing was said about anything being in it. So, even though the buyer needs to be aware, he's now out $1000 for purchase of an empty box, and there's some asshole laughing away at the gullibility of mankind...and probably not even realizing that he might have ruined some kid's Christmas.
It truly IS Black Friday. And, I'm not talking about profit margins, but how dark our souls have become.
Kate the Cynical Bitch.
17 comments:
"there's some asshole laughing away at the gullibility of mankind...and probably not even realizing that he might have ruined some kid's Christmas."
Oh Kate you are right on the money with this one, so to speak! That's just SICK. Too much of the Christmas holidays are so commercialized now with stuff like this......it's the SPIRIT of the holidays, and giving little bits of our love and ourselves to each other, that's what counts!
This is why I absolutely detest the holiday season. With every fiber of my being I hate seeing it arrive, I truly do.
When I was growing up we made gifts for our family members. Tasty home made treats and lopsided watercolored cards and pictures. Christmas Eve was spent with the whole family having a big meal and time together. When my grandparents passed away we found they'd kept all those home made goodies!
Now it's all about what you can buy and outdoing the next person in line. It's all about money and no soul. Theres no enjoyment of the people we love and family time together.
The guy selling/scamming people is so typical of the way we've gone downhill as a society. And it's a very sad commentary on what we think of as acceptable anymore. We don't enjoy the holidays anymore, instead we stress out and bury ourselves under mountains of debts to get the latest or newest or best of whatever the t.v./radio/magazines/papers have decreed as the 'it' toy of the season.
So once again, I will bury myself in a hole until after the first of the year and if you knock on my door you'll hear me loud and clear.....
BAH! HUMBUG!
(me? Cynical? Nah!)
Well said Kate. Those things are exactly some of the reasons people have dreaded Christmas, myself included. I have just decided that Christmas is going to be for my girls and nothing else. I'm not going to let the stupidity of others ruin my time with my girls.
Tracey said:
When I was growing up we made gifts for our family members. Tasty home made treats and lopsided watercolored cards and pictures. Christmas Eve was spent with the whole family having a big meal and time together. When my grandparents passed away we found they'd kept all those home made goodies!
In the last few years I've begun to do that more and more. Robert is a fantastic cookie baker, so he makes up lots of cookies to give to people. I make terrific peanut brittle, so the candy is where my talents come in. I've been knitting this year, and a few things will become gifts to those who wouldn't be annoyed by such things...or so I hope! Robert's knee surgery earlier this year put us so far behind we just don't have lots to spend on everyone, so making things gives us the option of doing *something*.
I've finally figured out to ask for things I *need* rather than want; TracFone cards, Barnes and Noble cards, actually, any sort of gift card is wonderful. Some of my friends will be getting a gift certificate from me for a massage. And, of course I have a dream list of things I'd be thrilled to find gifted to me, but I have learned to be practical these days. Dammit! LOL
Melanie said:
I have just decided that Christmas is going to be for my girls and nothing else. I'm not going to let the stupidity of others ruin my time with my girls.
And that's the true magic of the Christmas season, Mel. How can you top love as a gift? Your girls are very blessed to have a mom who is willing to give them not only Love, but Time!
Thank you Kate. I still believe in the magic of Christmas every time I watch my girls on Christmas morning. Spending time with them is priceless.
The Christmas season is my favourite time of the year. It's gotten to be so commercialized but I don't let any of it get to me, I still enjoy the spirit of the season, and being with my friends and family. I love that. And the rest of it just happens with me ignoring it. So, no bah humbug here! :)
I do have to admit that the morning spent with hubby and monsterkid is the best of the whole holiday time. She has so much fun and it doesn't matter what she gets, she's just happy to get it.
Guess I need to rethink and relearn some things huh?
Melanie said:
Thank you Kate. I still believe in the magic of Christmas every time I watch my girls on Christmas morning. Spending time with them is priceless.
I love being around kids at Christmas. My kids are grown, but I still want them around - the family time is so important, and I realize I do get cynical at all the BS I see around me. Lainie won't know much about Christmas this year since she's just one, but she'll have a blast with the ribbon and paper if her birthday is any indication!
We used to "torture" our kids on Christmas morning. They could only have their stockings before they got dressed. They had to wait for gifts till they were dressed and the beds made and the house picked up. But, I've noticed they do the same thing to their families now! LOL
Jude said:
It's gotten to be so commercialized but I don't let any of it get to me, I still enjoy the spirit of the season, and being with my friends and family. I love that.
Me too! And, I like to watch the shows on Food Network and HGTV that show all the wonderful foods and decorating. It makes me smile. I'm thinking about putting an old artificial Christmas tree outside on my deck this year and decorating it up a bit. I think it might be kinda cute to do that...I certainly think I have enough lights to do it and the railings too!
Tracey said:
Guess I need to rethink and relearn some things huh?
We all do, Tracey! But I know that meeting all of you since beginning this blog has been one of the best presents I could have gotten! Guess that makes that old fart Orion Santa Claus, then, doesn't it????!!!! *laughs*
We all do, Tracey! But I know that meeting all of you since beginning this blog has been one of the best presents I could have gotten! Guess that makes that old fart Orion Santa Claus, then, doesn't it????!!!! *laughs*
OMG! YES!!! Can we PLEASE go rub it in now??? Please, please, please, please????? Oh wouldn't it just burn his tighty-whiteys???
Tracey begged:
OMG! YES!!! Can we PLEASE go rub it in now???
Works for me! You don't need MY permission!
We don't need anyone's permission, since he gave us free reign remember??? LOL!
True. So true! *insert evil laughter here* I will have to think of some way of putting out there to gain the best response! I mean, c'mon....we don't want him thinking he's done something NICE now do we? ;)
First of all, I laughed at the tale of the idjit who paid $1000 for a box. The funniest part of it is that he actually complained about what he'd bought. I feel no sympathy for the idjit -- his own greed did him in, not the man who sold the box. Mebbe next time, the idjit'll read the posting or ad a deal more closely.
As to the season, 'tis not mine. For several reasons. For one, my Mom died the day after Thanksgiving -- gives a whole new meaning to "Black Friday," huh? Secondly, 'tis a holiday for a religion that's not mine. I do feel a bit of joy in the signs of Winter (snow, cold, all the natural things), but the religiosity of it means nothing.
As to the commercialism, all I can say is that our society has fallen victim to greed and "owning things" and everything that is the complete antithesis of what he whom the Christians purportedly worship stood for. It all makes me so unutterably sad.
The Auld Scot
TW said:
As to the season, 'tis not mine. For several reasons. For one, my Mom died the day after Thanksgiving -- gives a whole new meaning to "Black Friday," huh? Secondly, 'tis a holiday for a religion that's not mine. I do feel a bit of joy in the signs of Winter (snow, cold, all the natural things), but the religiosity of it means nothing.
*gentle hug* I'd forgotten that was the day your Mom crossed over.
And since we share religions, I know exactly what you mean - but the truth is, we still live with people who *do* celebrate that holiday and are forced into celebrating on *their* day instead of our own a few days earlier. I have to admit, there is a part of me that resents that my holiday isn't as important in their eyes. I long for the day when *my* holidays will be looked upon equally with others. But until the day comes when I'm on my own or in a totally Pagan household, I'm stuck with celebrating both my own way and the way of those I live with.
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