It's that time of year - malls are crowded, traffic is insane, people are EVERYWHERE. (Where do they all come from?? It's like everyone has closet families that they only let out to go shopping during the Christmas season. Actually that's not a bad idea).
Some people hate Christmas, just because of the people (ask almost anybody in retail). I can't argue - it's not like my dream trip to the store involves loud stressed mamas running over my heels with the front of their shopping cart. Trust me, you don't want to get between a Black Friday shopper and her ridiculously over-priced sale item. Apparently a few shoppers even pulled out pepper spray in multiple Walmart stores this year. 'Tis the season.
The most wonderful time of the year brings out the worst in people.
But not always.
In spite of - or because of - the extra drama, stress, and cacophony of the Christmas season - it gives us the chance to treat other human beings like real human beings. What if we started doing things like helping an enemy shopper, or treating a retail employee like you would treat your boss' wife??
It always floors me when I see somebody going against the typical self-first Christmas attitude. Like the man in the well-worn business suit, holding the door for the woman and all her crazy kids. Don't tell me he didn't have other places to be and things to do. Or the grumpy woman in the parking lot who went out of her way to help an elderly lady turn off her car alarm (it clearly was an issue of technological ignorance, not theft...). What if, every time we went to the mall, we kept our eyes open for people we could help? Looking past their unattractive attitudes and our own tight schedules, how much good could we do?
Random acts of kindness. They don't mean a whole lot if you're only nice when you're not late for work and you don't have a headache. But they can mean so much if you give a little extra in this season when - commercially - everyone is just trying to take all they can get.
To be honest, I heard the car alarm and saw the old lady today, and I didn't help. None of my business? Not a big deal if she couldn't handle her alarm? No time? Lame. Completely lame excuses.
Tomorrow's another day, and I bet you anything they'll be another test: another angry person, another stressed employee, another chance to be the selfless person. There aren't any retakes allowed on these tests. Ready?
"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again." [Og Mandino]
"A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money."
ReplyDeleteRemind me to never go shopping near Thanksgiving.