I work in retail so this holiday has always had, shall we say, bittersweet memories for me. When my Mom and Dad still lived here I would make sure I always went to their house for Dinner. To them it was a big day. To me it was the day before all Hell broke loose. Today now that my Mom is six hours away it means less to me as a Holiday. Sometimes I'll get together with my brother, but mostly the last few years I spend it at home by myself. And I don't mind. It's one of the few days that I have off that I know I'm not going to spend the day running around doing errands. I can actually spend it at home, trying to get some things done or maybe just spend the day reading and relaxing. Because tomorrow is the start of the Christmas Season.
Or at least that was the way it used to be. Christmas gets a start almost at Labor Day nowdays. I've been hearing Christmas music in stores for weeks. Christmas merchandise has been on the shelves since before Halloween. Once retail used Thanksgiving as the kick off for Christmas. Now they're so afraid of losing a leg up on the season.
And what's worse. I can't even start to list the stores that are opening today. I remember when I first got into retail (I know, I know, I'm the old man of retail) stores didn't even open at four or five on Black Friday. I don't even remember calling it Black Friday. But now everyone wants to be open earlier than the other guy. So early now that they're not even closing on Thanksgiving. Luckily the store I work for is closed. At least this year. But I have my doubts as to next year. As everyone else opens they're going to figure they have choice but to open.
When I worked for Service Merchandise we started opening on Thanksgiving towards the end. I remember one Thanksgiving and a customer was in shopping and she remarked to me that it was "such a shame that you have to be open on Thanksgiving." Now I bit my tongue or I would have told her that we wouldn't be open if people like her wouldn't be out shopping on Thanksgiving.
I said at the start of this post that this holiday isn't all that special to me like it once was. But I still don't want to work on it. We have so few days that we are actually closed that I hate to lose the couple we have. It's a good day of rest before the start of the Christmas season.
But I fear this may be my last one off.
4 comments:
I hope you're wrong and that you get to continue to relax on your holiday. Whatever the case, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving :).
Here's my holiday wish for you...that you encounter none but pleasant and courteous customers through the season. And if not, may your professionalism never fail!
Cheers John!
I found you from Dona Nobis Pacem. I love your site. I’m going to poke around a little bit, but don’t worry I’ll put everything back where I found it!!
This is a tough year as we were on the cruise for Thanksgiving and though we had a Turkey dinner, I am very slow getting into the Christmas spirit this year.
Plus we will be going to FL to Mom and Dad's for Christmas, so I do not anticipate a tree at all this year.
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