I'm glad Xmas is over

Xmas always stresses me out!

I hate all the materialistic expressions of sincerity and endearment associated with Christmas. It has become too retail-oriented. I have a theory; since no one can really pinpoint when Jesus was born, perhaps retailers decided that December would be best in order to plump up the books for the end of a fiscal year.

I complain and complain about it every year but I find myself a victim of the vortex called…the Mall. When I used to live in Highland Park, the mall was at a safe distance. How much damage can one do at Target? Now, I live in Costa Mesa; shopping Mecca. When people ask me where I live, the follow up question is always “How close are you to the South Coast Mall”? “Too close” is always my reply.

So how is it that I am swept up in the whole “Xmas fever” you ask? I think it starts around Halloween. I start to panic when November 1st come around and Target already has their Christmas display going up right next to the clearance Freddy Krueger masks. That’s when my mantra starts…

I don’t want to think about it,

I don’t want to think about it,

I don’t want to think about it.

Then, Jack in the Box comes out with the “Egg Nog Shake”

I don’t want to think about it,

I don’t want to think about it,

I don’t want to think about it.

Then, Starbucks rolls out the Egg Nog Lattes and Gingerbread loaf.

I don’t want to think about it,

I don’t want to think about it,

I don’t want to think about it.

Then the “after Thanksgiving” sales are announced on TV…even before I’ve had a chance to eat any Turkey. No one wonder some people start with Thanksgiving dinner at 2:00 pm. They need to be up at 4:00am to shop!

If you work in an office, then you’re in trouble! You have the “secret Santa” game, the “office gift exchange”; chip in for a present for your manager or your boss and of course the “white elephant” game. Then you have everyone and their mother asking for a handout for the holidays. Then you are stuck playing office politics…if I don’t buy something for “so and so”, he’ll think I hate him. It’s a vicious cycle.

I always say that I’m only going to buy stuff for my little brother and sister and my nephew only! Then I’m out at the mall and I see stuff for everyone in the family. It’s funny because I shop year round, but I never see the cute stuff like at Christmas time. It’s like they’re waiting for me…waiting in the bushes! This is how I wind up in the hole!

We should enforce age limits on Christmas. It should be about the kids and their belief in Santa Claus. They’ll have it hard enough when they get older, right? Why should I buy my boss who make well over $100K a year something that cost me 4 hours of my labor to pay for?