by Jack Lee
Every year just before Christmas it’s the same thing, we say have to cut back on buying so many presents. We talk about how Christmas has become too commercialized and we mock those who spend way more than they should on presents, presents that people probably didn’t want anyway. We reassure each other that Christmas is about celebrating family and friends and some of us will actually mention that it’s about Christ’s birthday. So we say confidently that it’s really okay to just limit this years Christmas to a few token gifts aqnd only for the closest family members.
Famous last bah humbug words: “Hey, if I want to buy somebody something I’ll buy it when they need it, not just because it’s Christmas.”
That is what we say, but it’s not what we do is it? No. We’ve established a tradition of spending like crazy at Christmas and running ourselves into the ground physically and mentally. For some this extravaganza might involve one or two trip to a large neighboring city. In our case that would be San Francisco. This is where you shop till you drop at the mega-stores in a frenzy to find sales that are “real sales on really good quality things that will last and you absolutely can’t find anywhere else so its really, really worth it” or so we make ourselves believe.
“Madison bought a really great purse that was priced at $295 and on sale at Macy’s for just $155!” Madison’s new purse may well last for 10 years because it’s so well made, but if she carries it for one season I’ll be surprised. But, as men folk we smile and agree what a wonderful buy it was, even if we’re thinking it was way overpriced to begin with and at half off it’s still no bargain! Cost of meals on trip $230, cost of hotel $200 a night, cost of purse $155..yeah it was real deal.
The real bottom line is, going to the city is a like mini-vacation, and its an indulgent adventure for the shopaholics (you know who you are) and that’s the real motivation.
Yeah, we talk a good game about not overdoing it at Christmas, but we always do, don’t we?
Spending is just part of the madness, Christmas is a lot of work too! Most of us probably put out more physical labor this time of year than at any other, and I’m not just talking about the marathon shopping. It’s the mad house cleaning, tuning up the yard, buying and then trimming out the Christmas tree, hanging the outside lights, planning the big Christmas meal, grocery shopping, making snack for guests, sending out Christmas cards, the invitations to the pre-Christmas parties, wrapping gifts, or getting the bedroom ready for your college age kid coming home or relatives from back East…there’s one heck a lot of labor involved here for just two days of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then there is all the stress and tension to meet certain deadlines!
A lot of family fights breakout over the Christmas season thanks to all the stress! It’s starts out that somebody, usually one of the kids, is accused of being a shirker and not helping out enough, then husbands start yelling because Moms are yelling and they’re trying to watch the game. And so it goes until on Dec. 26th, it’s officially over and by January 1st there’s not suppose to be one Christmas decoration left standing and all the Christmas stuff has been put away until next year where the cycle repeats itself.
Yikes, I lost track of the time I have to make a dash to the Mall, haven’t got half the presents I need to buy…I’m freaking out, the clock is ticking…HELP!!!