last i heard...your name ain't in the title.

In this, the most holy time of the year, we are reminded of all our blessings.

Like being able to afford the gas, the car & the time to go to the mall & be pummelled & molested by our fellow man.

Blessed indeed.

i've been dealing with not-so-festive feelings the last few weeks, and just when i think i can actually get over it & enjoy this Season, i go to the mall and get it shot to h-e-double hockey sticks.

Case in point: last night, i decided to stop @ Target to get a few extra things for some work gifts. i actually watched a woman pushing a cart say "excuse me" to two ladies in her way. Nice, right?


It would be, but what galled me was the fact that there was no one else in the aisle. All she had to do was to push the cart around these two. But nooooo...we can't be inconvenienced these days.

i made some sarcastic remark...loud enough for the lady with the cart to hear me. Not my usual m.o., but i'm tired of people only looking out for themselves.

Case in point #2: Friday night, a group of girls from my work got together for a little party. We always do a white elephant gift exchange, then have a "nice" gift exchange. One of the guys we work with also was there, having gotten himself invited years ago. He never gives me or my friend gifts.

Except for this past Friday.

My friend & i did double takes and there were also lotsa mutterings under our breaths. Now granted, everyone got the same thing: calendar from the 99Cent Store and incense (incense? don't you use that to cover the smell of pot?), BUT it was a gift. So i reciprocated, i left him an In-n-Out gift card for him. (check out the link...for those of you NOT in the West, this is one of the best dang burgers EVAH!)

He has opened the card. i see it on his desk.

He has not thanked me for the gift card.

Hmmmm...last i heard, even if it's a gift you hate, the gracious thing to do is to thank the giver.

i'm disgruntled all over again.

When did we get so dang selfish? How did it become accepted behaviour to be self centered & to always look out for number one (and treat everyone else like number two)? i realize i sound like the Cranky Old Mrs. Brown that lived on your street when you were a kid (remember? she was soooo cranky & mean, you knew she was a witch.), but i don't get it.

i probably never will.

This should be a time when we stop. Breathe. Drop to our knees and thank the Lord for the gifts we are given. Gifts we do not deserve, except by His Grace.
The time to remember that it's not called Davemas. Or SelfishladyinTargetmas. Or even Valeriemas.

It's called Christmas for a reason. And i need to be reminded of that every day. Peace.