ghetto from the get-go
(wal-mart is not your friend)
i wish i could take credit for the post title. it's awesome. but i can't. that came out of sarah's mouth as we were leaving our friendly neighborhood wal-mart last night. why? because it is freaking true. i mean, let's be serious. depending on how highly you rate the "convenience" factor of wal-mart - having everything under the sun in one place -, is there anything to like about it? way too many people. all the time. way too big of a space for a person to genuinely feel comfortable. we, honestly, decided against walking over to look at bikes for hannah last night because the bikes are three fucking miles away from the food section. i got tired just thinking about it. way too big. did i mention the "way too many people" part? it doesn't matter if you go early in the morning. late at night. middle of the night. there are always way too many people there to make sense. it would be different if they were giving away money. food. gold. free you, me and dupree dvd's. something that would draw people in masses to this human wasteland. but they aren't. so, i don't get it. going at christmas-time is even more of a joke, because we have been conditioned to believe that wal-mart will have what we need at the price we want it. they probably don't, or don't anymore because some crazy-ass savage got it after midnight on black friday, but we go anyway, bound to be disappointed. wal-mart is not your friend. not mine. and you know what's worse? i will probably go back sometime soon to get that bike for hannah. someone...FREE ME FROM THIS MACHINE!
speaking of things that irritate me during christmas-time:
* magic 96. some of us really like the christmas music. i do. but i am having a hard time with all the sappy "my neighbor isn't going to have a real christmas" stories they keep playing ad naseum. first of all, you are exploiting this person that feels like they need to call you by playing their story and emotion on air. secondly, you are helping them by doing what again? a $250 checkcard? really??? wow. how gracious you truly are! and what will happen when these people cannot afford food in january? another gift card? or a cold message that it's not december anymore. ugh. let's teach people to "fish".
* the hyper-sensitivity towards the idea of "family". i am guilty of this. shouldn't we focus our attention more on those we love and those that love us back unconditionally than the folks that just so happen to be related to us? i say yes even though i am not sure i am man enough to put that idea into practice this year.
* combo gifts. if you are reading this and know someone (hint, hint) born on or around christmas, remember that you get gifts on your birthday. you get gifts on christmas. so should the person in question.
* buying gifts because it's christmas. "have you started your shopping yet?" has become one of the most annoying things i hear over and over this time of year. particularly because the response tends to be something like, "no, but i'll get it done soon." this implies that you are not going to buy something thoughtful as much as you are getting something out of obligation. don't do that. if you don't feel compelled to put thought into a gift, just send a card. it will come across as more meaningful. i promise.
* christmas lights. i can deal with them a little better now that hannah enjoys them, but i don't like them in general. i don't get the point. it just seems very showy and unnecessary. i love christmas trees. my christmas tree. with ornaments for my family. christmas lights seem silly.
i am sure that sarah and folks at work think i am a scrooge. but i am not. i do like christmas. even more now with hannah. i like buying stuff for people i love and as rehearsed as it is, christmas is a wonderful excuse to do that. i just don't get off on it i guess. i think i am more in love with the feeling that i have recently, that every day is the same. that every day is a gift. and too often we get caught up in ranking days and the impact that those days "should" have on us.
i can't wait 'til christmas. 'til hannah's birthday. the day all the "stuff" goes away and we can enjoy each other. that's all a holiday should be, right? a day to enjoy each other.
4 comments:
kev. it could not have been said any better. i like the part about ranking days. and finally somebody realizes the severe downfalls even just shown on the outside of walmart.
o yeah. jacob told me hes coming back the 20th. ill have to talk to alex. im sure hes doing alot of nothing. whats new? but yeah. we will have to get together.
Kevin - You are right on the mark! I "like" Christmas only because the kids get so geeked about it. Honestly if they weren't here, I probably wouldn't even put up a tree. As Christians we should celebrate the birth of Christ year round, not set aside one day a year and call it His birthday. (We all know Jesus was born in the Fall anyway) I find myself looking forward to basketball, flag football, softball, and little league baseball way more than a holiday where we pretend to be excited to see people who we know we won't see for another year. I think i've made myself clear on the "combo gift" issue. Names will be taken and noses will be broken, Christmas and Hannahmas are two totally different events! As for Wal-Mart, well what can I say. They own the United States.
well said, you scroogy bastard. christmas has become something big and burly and ugly and self-centered. i wish it were not so, but as long as walmart is in power, we must feed the beast. like kiker, i love it for the kids sake, and the time i get to spend with people i care about.
and 2 weeks off from bus-driving.
and the champagne buzz i get at my mom's on christmas day before noon even rolls around.
and by focusing this year on the whole of advent, i now see just how remarkable God as a baby really is.
Ever see that South Park episode about Walmart. That one was hilarious.
I agree that Walmart sucks. I've become more aware of it recently. Espeically when I need something and go to Walmart only to either not find it or find a really generic version that doesn't really suit my needs. It's really frustrating.
I dont' think Walmart is invincible though. I bet they could lose they're #1 spot, especially if they don't change. Not just how they do business, but also their aesthetic appeal.
Think about a Walmart with carpeted floors, lower ceilings (without all the cold metal skeleton thing that makes it feel like the big warehouse that it is). How much different would it be with warm lighting instead of the sterile fluorescent. And of course as you pointed out Kevin, if they weren't so damn enormous. Remember when they weren't ALL supercenters? In fact, why even label them as supercenters anymore?!
If Walmart changed some of those things I don't think they would have as much customer dis-satisfaction. It would still be a pretty crappy shopping center where I couldn't find anything that I'm looking for, though.
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