Time spent in bookstore to pick up a gift: 5 minutes
Time spent in parking lot trying to find one single stupid parking spot: 20 minutes
Right around this time every year, my holiday cheer is momentarily thrown out the window and replaced by a grinch. OK, maybe not a grinch, but certainly a person who doesn’t like society very much. I know it’s partially my own fault. I should have started shopping earlier for Christmas/Hanukkah gifts. I should try to shop when no one else is around. (Although even at midnight the lines are long.)
I’m generally in a good mood when I set out on a shopping expedition. I try hard to be polite to others, not get in anyone else’s way, and overall make the experience as pleasant as possible. But then I run into the other last-minute shoppers – stressed, frantic, and grouchy – and they start to wear me down. They cut me off in traffic, steal parking spots I’ve been patiently waiting on, run into me with their shopping carts, cut in line, leave junk they decided they didn’t want in the aisles for me to trip over, let their kids run around like mad and run into me, and yell at me when I take the last item before they got there.
It’s no wonder my grip on my steering wheel gets tighter and tighter until my knuckles are white as I approach a store this time of year. “Just get in, and get out,” I tell myself. And then other people make it take ten times longer than I planned, and I leave with a massive headache and the feeling that I’ve been beaten up. I want to enjoy shopping, but during the holidays, the one time I must shop more than any other, I’m forced into a bad mood by the chaos.
What is it about shopping in December that turns people into such monsters at the mall? What happened to remembering simple etiquette? If you’re walking through the mall at a snail’s pace to examine your list and discuss where else you need to go, can you at least not take up the entire path so others can get around you? I understand the pressure to find the “perfect” gift can make anyone feel edgy, but is it necessary to take out your stress and frustration on strangers who are just trying to get their shopping done as well?
It’s no wonder that internet businesses are reporting record sales this year. With traffic jams around the malls every evening at 5pm and every weekend, long lines in the stores, and bad attitudes on top of it, it only makes sense to shop online.
I’ve avoided brick & mortar stores as much as possible so far this month, but with a few people left to shop for, and shipping deadlines passing, I now must face the angry crowds. But after last night’s trip to the bookstore, as well as a few other stores, I realize that this insanity might be enough punishment for my procrastination to force me to plan ahead on gift buying.
So next year, I’m going to make that list early and preferably shop online as much as possible. Or become rich enough to afford a personal shopper.
And to the big athletic guy who stole the parking spot I was waiting for (with my blinker on, no less): I hope you felt at least a twinge of guilt as I walked past you later with my pregnant belly poking out from under my coat.
I agree! It’s madness! I went to Borders last weekend at Kenny and Henderson. They have their own parking lot and a decent size at that, for a bookstore. People were making parking spots up, along the curbs and on the grass!
Last night I went to Borders on Sawmill, the left turn into that shopping center has never been pretty. But it was simply chaos yesterday. The guy behind me honked at me, waved his hands around and smacked his head in frustration. Why? Because I decided to be a decent human being and let this one guy go in front of me, he had been waiting there, patiently trapped in his aisle of the parking lot.
I getting closer to the bottom of my list (Yes!!!). Gotta help Adam with shopping/wrapping tonight though, wish us luck as we venture out into the jungle of angry shoppers!
I agree- it is madness out there! I’ve got to go out in the trenches tomorrow to finish up (hopefully!)
Here’s a cute holiday gift that doesn’t require going to the store:
http://www.break.com/index/snl_a_special_christmas_box.html
You knwo he didn’t though. At the mall here, they have expectant mother’s parking spots. I saw a 20 something nerdy guy take that spot in his sports car. Three women had been waiting for those spots. Pregnant ones I may add.
However, I didn’t feel guilty either as I walked over to the security guard and told him he should have the guy towed. 😉
Whatever you do, don’t go to the mall on your lunch break. It’s INSANE.
UGH! I could not agree with you MORE. Seriously. And regardless of the time of year, I am all for expectant mothers parking, and I truly hope that a&hole gets a lump of coal in his stocking.
OOOHH….may Santa leave a huge lump of coal in that man’s stocking….
I know what you mean. I was in the Barnes and Noble and I swear I was almost trampled trying to get to the gift cards….anarchy I tell ya.
People suck. Sometimes. I hear you. I have made a pact with myself to ask the nieces & nephews what they want for Christmas in SEPTEMBER next year, and the rest of us (the grown-ups) are so sick of shifting stuff around that we really don’t need that I’ve told them I’m going to make soap again (everybody asks for it anyway), starting next year, for every year thereafter until they tell me to stop. ha ha!
I hope that guy DID feel like the big jerk he was!
I hear ya! Last night hubby and I went to do some last minute shopping at Wal-mart…. (which has to be THE worst place to go) and between all the frantic shoppers and the fact we had a 2 year old who won’t keep her hands to herself and a cranky 3 month old…I had that same headache you speak of….and don’t even get me started on wrapping!
Soooo true — holidays bring the inner asshole out of everyone.
Wow, I hope that guy felt a LOT of guilt upon seeing your pregnant belly.
Much luck finishing the gift buying. That is my worst fear – shopping during this time of year. Ugh.
I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas 🙂
A few years ago, I was at Walmart buying a digital camera for a Christmas present. It was just your average Kodak Easy Share thingie and some lady took it out of my cart. Apparently I had the last one on sale and she said to me, “You don’t look like you really need it.” I was furious. I told the clerk and demanded it back. This lady through a fit and so the clerk offered me a better camera at a discount. I took it. The lady then wanted to trade. Forget it!
It’s amazing what people will do!