retail christmas shopping.

2009 marks the first Christmas period where I have not worked in retail.  Although I am mostly grateful for this (since Christmas is a stressful time of year to be serving behind the counter, or generally to be doing anything), it did mean that I wasn’t really bombarded with the Christmas decorations and music that usually go up in stores in October, and therefore was not reminded to start organising my gifts and purchases until about last week, when I thought “Shit, it’s mid-November and I have not bought ANY presents.” In the last week or so I’ve started redressing that balance, and I’m starting to get a move on with it.  I have the added motivation of Gucci earrings.

Don’t be fooled by this fairly crude picture – the earrings are delicate and beautiful, just the right balance of style and elegance, neither masculine nor feminine.  Just… lovely.  A wonderful upgrade from my Armani Earrings (and who knows, maybe it’ll inspire a sequel song on my next album!).  However, this wonderful upgrade costs £240 (they are white gold and Gucci… and it will raise my fashion game) so I have therefore made a pact with myself that I will not buy them until my Christmas shopping is done.  There are a couple of reasons for this.

1. It’s kinda selfish to just keep buying things for myself when tis the season to give.  I love buying presents for other people, and I don’t feel guilty spending money on other people!
2. If I spend £240 on earrings, then it is possible (knowing myself) that I might physically run out of money before I manage to get everyone’s presents.  Which again, is kinda selfish when I could easily wait for the earrings a little bit longer.  It’s not like I don’t have anything satisfactory to wear in my ears for the time being!

So I am sticking to my pact. I also have the added incentive of getting my Christmas shopping done before December the 11th, because that is the date of our Christmas party for uni, and I would quite like to wear my new earrings to this Christmas party. Because then I will feel extra-special.

Anyways, this post isn’t meant to be about my Gucci earrings.  It is about Christmas shopping, and the fact that it feels almost strange for me not to be working in retail during this period, since it’s something I’ve done for the past 8 years.  I don’t miss the incessant Christmas music in shops, and I don’t miss the cranky customers nor the constant target-monitoring.  However, I enjoy the busy feeling going into the shops, and the excitement of everyone buying gifts for people they love – whether people get cranky about it at the till or not, I like the idea that everyone is trying to please someone else.  I don’t give to receive – I give to hopefully make people happy at Christmas with a gift that shows how much I appreciate them, and also that I have considered their personality and found them something appropriate.  In that sense, I am more a subscriber to the commercial meaning of Christmas than the religious meaning of Christmas (as long as it’s done with love and friendship as the primary agenda, rather than showboating, there’s nothing wrong IMO with buying someone a gift to show your appreciation of them).