I had forgotten just how much I dread working retail after the holidays. I have always been a people person, and I really enjoy interacting with the public, especially when I am able to provide some service. In short, most of the year, I actually enjoy working retail. To be honest, this year people were fairly tame. I had just forgotten the sheer volume of returns. Yesterday, I was reminded why I was so thrilled to move off the service desk back onto the floor. I didn’t have any noteworthy incidents, no customers throwing merchandise or pitching a fit, and several even complimented my cheery and upbeat attitude. The downside to manning the service desk so soon after Christmas is the fact that EVERYONE has something they didn’t like, which means tons of returns. In years past they have done a pretty good job of spacing it out over the following couple of weeks, but due to the recent weather being rather harsh, the public took the opportunity of a fairly mild day to do all of their errands, including returning their unwanted gifts. This means that between the hours of approximately 10am and 5pm, I was completely swamped. I can count on one hand the number of times I had no customers at the service desk.
It saddens me to remember how much I looked forward to Christmas as a child. It was one of the rare times that our entire family was together in one place at one time, including some of our extended family. There was always wonderful food and conversation, and the atmosphere present during the holidays reminds me of simpler times, especially times spent with lost loved ones. The sad part, however, is thinking of how I view the holidays now. In contrast, it tends to be the most stressful part of my year. I do not suffer from seasonal depression, but working with the public for the last eight years has caused me to dread this season. You would think that the great “holiday spirit” would put people in a better, more charitable mood, but it seems to do exactly the opposite. Is it because we have become a nation of consumers? We forget the real spirit of the season. And no, I am not talking strictly about the Christian view of sacrifice and miracles, but rather the general feeling of coming together as a family, spending time together, engaging in activities and bonding with each other. And of course this is not meant to imply it has to be blood relatives. I have spent several Christmases with friends when I was unable to go home. It isn’t quite the same feeling, but equally saitisfying.
After work, the rest of the day was pretty uneventful. My roommate and I watched movies and played Star Wars until 6 in the morning. When we finally reaized what time it was, we decided it was probably time to get some sleep. For the first time in probably a week or more, I actually was able to sleep for more than 6 hours. There have simply been too many changes to my sleep “norm” lately. I switched off night shift at the beginning of the week, and I am still getting used to sleeping by myself. I have gotten used to sleeping in the same bed with my fiancee for the last year and a half, and we usually stayed at his apartment. Since he moved at the end of last month, I have lost both my usual sleeping evironment and company. He always had a difficult time believing that I could tell whether or not he was there when I was sleeping. I can attest that I can, in fact, tell. I have had a very difficult time staying asleep for more than two or three hours at a time. Sometimes I even wake up and, in my sleep-addled state, forget where I am and reach over, trying to figure out where he’s gone. I really hope he can find a job sometime soon so I can move down and join him and work on finding a place of our own. Until then, I will have to settle for periodic visits on the weekends and talking on the phone, of which I am not a fan. I would much rather talk to someone face-to-face than over the phone. Video chat is a little better, but still not the same as having someone there in the same space with you. I will be okay, I just have to stay optimistic and look forward to the time when we can start our new life together.
Unique Like Everyone 