I got up Saturday morning, showered and dressed and yeah, immediately went to Facebook and Twitter. Nothing going on there...so my wife and I went out, got some breakfast and then hit the mall for some Christmas shopping. This time of year is always both exhausting and exasperating to
me. I don't like standing in long lines, impatient guy that I am. I don't like going in stores and wanting something and finding the item picked over or worse...all gone. I don't like shopping in crowded malls period...People are rude, inconsiderate and totally oblivious to their fellow man. All that stuff about giving and cheer and good will to all men (and women) is lost on the average mall shopper.
Today though, I was as calm and cool as a cucumber. (Don't quite remember when cucumbers became cool, but I'll go with it for now.) The reason being was because I didn't shop. Didn't buy a thing, didn't stand in a line, didn't get pushed by a rude ,inconsiderate customer....nothing! My wife did all of the shopping. She was shopping for our grandchildren... I'll no doubt purchase a few things at a later date...but it will more than likely be on a weekday that I have taken off from work.
I noticed that something in me has changed too! I don't really want anything. That's why I was so at peace in that mall. I walked past all the stores with their beautiful displays and their announcements of this sale and that sale and I just shrugged...I wasn't interested in anything being sold. I don't need any clothing right now...Not interested in any music purchases...No novels out that I don't already have and I don't buy or rent dvds much...I order them on cable or I actually go to the movies to see what I want. (Sometimes my barber has a first run movie around the same time it's out in the theatre and for the cost of a really good haircut,I get to see it on his "50 inch HDTV flat screen with surround sound.heh ,heh, heh...)
When I was a young man and hungry (and broke) I wanted everything in the mall......My nose was pressed against the window pane of many a store and my imagination would always take me to a time when I could have the things I wanted. Not that I'm rich now....Far from it..but I have most of what I want and best of all, all of what I need...So ,I walked through the malls today (We went to more than one) and I wanted to want something being sold...The displays were so beautiful and inviting....but....I just didn't want anything...Really..it surprised me too...I didn't want anything....I don't know how to feel about that..but that's the way it was with me today.
The only thing I paid for today was our meals and the movie we saw.. I'm not Scrooge...I'm enjoying seeing the ornaments and the designs and the displays...I'm really getting into the so called spirit of the holiday and planning my Christmas playlist...but again the urge to spend any money on things has just not hit me yet.....For the sake of the economy...I sure hope everybody doesn't start feeling like me right now.
2 comments:
For me it's about what I can do for other people to make their life happier,and I don't wait until this time of the year to do that.
Nice and thoughtful post!
I feel your exact same sentiment. All I want is for those around me to be happy. I can't think of one thing I want, well except for a Kindle, but I could get that whenever I feel like it so it doesn't really count.
I'm at the age now that I'm treasuring the real gifts - life, my love (wife), my kids, my family and my friends and associates. Because at the end of the day that's all we have anyway. The rest of this stuff is window dressing.
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