Whine and Spirits

Christmas Presents

It starts the day after Thanksgiving. Most people are so caught up in the excitement of a bargain

and acquiring the nineteenth laptop that was on sale in the local “big box” store that they feel almost

obligated to defiantly and haughtily chime, “We waited in line for hours and beat everyone else to the

deals and they got NOTHING! Mwah, ha, ha!!!”

Really, though, what are we teaching the next generation of consumers when we practice such

blatant materialism? Or worse, complete disregard for the fact that people had to put this event

together the day before (you know, Thanksgiving), or the fact that people had to prepare for these

events starts weeks in advance, or the fact that people have already begun preparing for the next year’s

And this brings us to the holiday season in its entirety: both retailers and customers EXPECT

people to be available at all check outs, expect people to be stocking shelves, expect people to be

unloading trucks, and expect support staff and management at their every beck and call working for

them during the holidays so they can enjoy their day off. Yes, the holiday season is about: me, me, me!!!

Worse than materialism and selfishness for the poor employees working, however, is outright

asshole-ish-ness. Getting a $200 tablet for only $75 doesn’t seem to put friendliness or smiles on faces.

It must be cheaper! Never mind that a high school drop-out has to explain how iPhones and Google Play

work because (despite education) you don’t get it, and never mind that they aren’t working on a livable

wage. They must be professional and courteous at all times! It is demanded! Never mind that they have

been demeaned, name called, and put down. They must be courteous at all times! It is required!

Having experienced a few seasons in retail personally, I see this materialism, selfishness and

asshole-ish-ness run rampant during the time of giving and love. There is no credit given to the people

cleaning the toilets, collecting the shopping carts strewn all over, or anyone else for that matter.

Instead, consumers storm into the stores with their list of demands and rude attitudes, demanding to be

treated with the respect they obviously give no one, and whine about how they are spending their hard

earned money here and so should be fawned over at all times, all while simultaneously spending as little

money as possible.

Here’s the deal: how much is spent is directly proportionate to the quality of service received. If

being treated like the Queen of England is the goal, then spend what the Queen of England would

spend. To overworked and underpaid employees at a big box store, consumers are over-the-top and

underfoot annoyances with big mouths swarming the store.

What happened to the Christmas Spirit? I remember the season being about family and loving

the world, but it seems to have been replaced with materialism, selfishness, and asshole-ish-ness. There

was no expectation of stores being open 24 hours, and there certainly was no expectation you’d get

your butt kissed. You got what you needed before hand and hunkered down because the stores were

closed and everyone, rich and poor, young and old, had the opportunity to be home with their loved

We have whines but no spirit. Perhaps it’s time to revisit this “gift giving” tradition because it

has run amok. Perhaps it’s time to go back to what Thanksgiving was…a time when we remembered

what we were thankful for…treat Christmas as such, and rename Christmas: Thanksgiving 2.0.