http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9664595Skidmore (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-01-10 11:54 AM
Original message
I walked out of a store today because
the Christmas music was making me anxious. Going to do my weekly errands in town has become a source of stress. How to make the gas to get there stretch, how to make the grocery budget money cover the necessities, and hoping against hope that nothing breaks during the week which absolutely must be replaced. I started my shopping going off of my carefully prepared list, but my attention kept wandering and my heart started pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears and I got that feeling in the pit of my stomach you get when you need to take flight. I did. I wheeled my cart over by the customer service stand and ask the lady if I could leave it there for a bit and I went outside to calm myself. I realized I was panicking and that, as I sought to calm myself, some of the relief came from not being exposed to the loud Christmas music in the store. This holiday finds me anxious and scared and angry. I'm sick of being told I have to shop to support an economy which doesn't support us adequately. I'm sick of being told that our lives are not worth the effort of extremely wealthy people who benefit from our labor and spending to invest in our infrastructure and in jobs. I'm sick of hearing about jittery millionaires and billionaires who won't invest because they don't know what their tax rates will be for the next year. I'm sick of being extorted.
I will not Christmas shop this year. I gave a little money to my daughter for her to buy clothing for the grandchildren for Christmas, but beyond those essentials, I will not spend one thin dime to line the pockets of another freaking filthy rich person who will shelter it overseas or in hedge funds. We will continue to buy the necessities and nothing else
I have a better idea...check yourself into a mental ward.
Brickbat (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-01-10 11:56 AM
Response to Original message
1. This here is the true war on Christmas, right here. Not your actions, but the actions of the
Edited on Wed Dec-01-10 11:57 AM by Brickbat
businesses and corporate interests that say we absolutely have to spend ourselves into oblivion in order to have a real holiday. And if we don't, we're bad citizens, bad people, Grinches and Scrooges, and party-poopers, and class war wannabes. It's a ******* mess.
Now wait a minute,here is a thread saying that without unemployment extensions that create spending the economy is doomed.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9664371Which is it?
Skidmore (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-01-10 12:30 PM
Response to Reply #1
23. It is not just the spending for a holiday.
It is the idea that people with limited incomes are browbeaten to spend to support the economy. Period. All the while, jobs are being lost and not replaced and incomes pared down and you are expected to suck it up and take it while some bozo on the teevee who caters to the wealthy is telling you that they are passing over the $10K watches because those are considered to be of inferior quality. A $10K watch??? How else could that be invested to create bang for the buck?
Come on you traitor...spend yourself into riches.
BoneDaddy (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-01-10 01:05 PM
Response to Reply #22
38. No, I just find
Edited on Wed Dec-01-10 01:09 PM by BoneDaddy
people often choose to draw attention to the drama of their lives and tend to identify themselves and live in their wounds as a way to get attention. Do you realize you listed above your shopping list of problems as if to insulate yourself from any criticism? I see that dynamic all day and it doesn't work on me.
I would be embarassed to admit that Christmas music caused an anxiety attack. You don't seem phased by it and it gives you an opportunity to tie that into a diatribe about your personal views about the holidays. When called on it, I get your personal history that sets the stage as "poor you" and "me the bad guy who shouldn't have picked on poor you."
People access power in many ways in life. One of them is the victim/martyr. It is a way for you to gather sympathy, energy and attention from others and when called on it, it becomes a safe place to retreat to. I find it to be a cop out.
This really isn't personal. It is probably an accumulation of reading so many whining posts by Duers about the holidays, all the self imposed and created problems and the hand wringing that goes along with it. Christmas is a commercial act, get used to it as it probably will not change anytime soon. Why? with all your health problems would you choose to get so worked up? I don't get it. You must have mentioned how "sick" you were at least 5-6 times, and you wonder why you are sick.
Edited: Wow, and you complained about my post too. How fitting.
Some DUmp Christmas spirit you have.
Don`t you know that the island is nothing but whining,crying,tantrums,outrage,screaming about unfairness etc?
Get with the program.
Cal Carpenter (996 posts) Wed Dec-01-10 01:44 PM
Response to Reply #38
41. The opposite of what you say is happening here
The poster is using their own life to draw attention to the systemic economic troubles that many, if not most, Americans are facing right now. It's not a 'poor me' post by any means like you imply.
It isn't personal, you are right. The meat of the OP is about economic injustice. The personal story, however, makes the issue easier to relate to.
See?
Fla Dem (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-01-10 12:43 PM
Response to Original message
32. Wow your comments are powerful. I could physically feel your anger, anxiety and frustration.
This is a powerful message to send to your congress person, senator and most of all, the President. They need to hear more from people like you.
obxhead (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-01-10 12:43 PM
Response to Original message
34. I had nearly the same thing happen yesterday in the bookstore.
I typically think of bookstores as a place for mellow sounds and moods. Yesterday while standing in line the xmas music was blasting so loud I set my small purchase on a shelf and just walked out.
**** it, everyone is getting handmade gifts or cash this year. I'm not going through it.
Sure,throw people out of their jobs.
handmade34 (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-02-10 08:30 AM
Response to Original message
78. I applaud you
I am with you 100%... I will never go out of my way to support those of much better means than myselfabout 12 years ago my oldest son suggested that if we are giving presents in the spirit of Christmas, then it should take place on January 6th (the Epiphany)... then as we discussed the season we decided that present giving at Christmastime was not really helpful or necessary for anyone. I still make my rum balls!, the kids still love eggnog and a tree in the house and we get together if we can to share a book or favorite movie. Wow, what an "epiphany" that was... life is much, much better at this time of year. I don't know why it took so long to figure this out.
We all really just want recognition, respect and some good cheer from each other anyways. The gifts happen now anytime someone really needs something or just for fun, when we decide to give them...
tigereye (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-02-10 08:39 AM
Response to Original message
79. well, your resistance to spending makes perfect sense -
the economy is in crappy shape and you would think that people with money, companies, what have you, would want to help others and not be holding on to it all. It really has never made any sense to me that economists, the market, investors, etc., can't see the link between people not having jobs, companies not hiring and laying folks off, people not having money to spend or concerned about loss of home or income, and then the bizarre pressure of feeding the economic engine when there is no money to spend on it. And then the market goes up while Congress dithers about extending unemployment benefits and corporate profits for the third quarter are extremely high. It's wacky. I really think that the market and investors should be cut out of the equation entirely. The market seems to hate workers or the idea of "real people."
It's truly bizarre.
for you.
The economy will never grow unless you spend spend spend.
Obama and Krugman said so.
