The Christmas Rebellion Starts Here

Here I am. Turkey Day. I always call it Turkey Day because, frankly, I have nothing to be thankful for today.

I worked 15 hours yesterday to get ready for the 5am onslaught of shoppers tomorrow. Thank goodness, I get overtime. Tomorrow I have to be my store at 4am to open by 5am. The mall isn't even opening that early; the mall opens at 6am!

We were handing our flyer touting our ridiculous hours and NOT ONE PERSON said how great it was. Every single person expressed their sympathy that we had to be in that early and some expressed utter contempt for the whole idea of store opening at that hour! Ah, the seeds of rebellion.

The DM and RM both left us messages on the store voice mail to have a wonderful, happy, relaxing Thanksgiving. Is that possible? I slept until 10am today and have to be in bed at 7pm to be even minimally ready for tomorrow! And I am worried about tomorrow! The IT department screwed up that sales and we need to HANDKEY all of the discounts. That is going to take FOREVER. I don't need this crap.

Why do any of us put ourselves through this? I have this strange idea that if we give good prices all through the year, that we can make money all year around and employ people all year around instead of one month out of the year. May be we need to make up a holiday in the summer to rival Christmas and spread the wealth around. I don't know much about economics, but I think that making profit all year around and keeping people employed all year around might be a good thing!

Brian White on Bloggingstocks.com writes that stores open early to let shoppers "rid the shelves and backrooms of any bargain that is available." That is true, but what confuses me is why do companies order huge surpluses of merchandise only to mark them down to ridiculous prices before the product even reach the sales floor and they have to mark the items down to stupidly ridiculous prices after the holiday when the stuff doesn't sell. It seems wasteful for one and do we need all this crap? (I should be in the self storage business, that's for sure!)

Brian also calls this shopping "Black Friday Madness" and compares to pursuit of the "Perfect Bargain" to a "bong hit of epic proportions." How right he is! All the pursuit of saving and sales and the perfect gift to give fuels some narcissistic need to be the center of attention for being the perfect gift giver or the most savvy buyer in the group. As a whole, this country has a problem with over the top consumerism. It's the thrill of the hunt. We are validated by what we have; not who we are or what we give of ourselves.

We go out like stupid sheep, day after day, year after year...buying, buying, buying. Often without purpose. Some stores are beginning to open ON Thanksgiving because families are looking for entertainment after the holiday dinner is done. What ever happened to finding entertainment and joy in just being with our families? What can't we entertain ourselves, but instead demand someone else do it, especially in the form of SHOPPING. And this is where the country is divided. Because people are unable to entertain themselves, I have to give up my Thanksgiving to "entertain" their asses. Wonder why sales people are so rude and surly? It because we are being treated as second class citizens by our own companies, malls, and people not in retail.

I haven't enjoyed a holiday in years. And yes, it is my expectation to go back to school and get some useful education. I can't do this forever.

Of course, I can't go shopping on Black Friday and take advantage of any of the sales. I expect work at least 12 hours on the Day after Thanksgiving and will leave only when I feel like I am babbling or getting ready to collapse.

How many of those early shoppers are only there to score deals in order to run home and it put on Ebay?? Holiday is truly becoming a exercise in profit-making for everyone. And is showcased by a complete absence of real joy and true heartfelt giving.

The December 2006 issue of Reader's Digest has a brief editorial entitled, "Can This Man be Stopped?" The article addresses what is being called the "Christmas Creep". Let me give it to you here, in case, you don't have a chance to read a magazine that is NOT a toy catalog this season.

"Are you like us - exhausted by the idea of Christmas long before December 25th arrives? Hard no to be when the shopping season starts earlier each year. How has this "Christmas Creep" gotten out of control? Consider two well-known home shopping networks now air "Christmas in July" shows - and recently wound up in court fighting over who owned the phrase!

AS much as we reject it, the calculation is a simple one: Holiday sales are now worth up to 30% of many retailers' annual incomes, so why not make the season last?

Luckily, experts say, the constant calender stretching may have peaked. "It's not sustainable." WSU professor Cindy Claycomb says. Well put. After all, who really wants to see Santa in a Speedo??"

It seems like a basic conundrum... are the store opening early because of the demand of the customers or are the customers meeting the demands of the companies by showing up early? Who says this madness is ok and who is driving it? The Companies or the customers. All of this flys in the face of the basic origins of the holiday.

Some one needs to rename the holiday and copyright it so they can make millions. After all, "Christmas" sounds so outdated and doesn't nearly express the true meaning of the holiday! SHOPPING!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS... LET THE REBELLION BEGIN!!! ~Ellie