Jingle All The Way

Christmas. It's not that I don't like Christmas it's just that for some reason everyone's expectations of one another seem to change during the holidays. As I go into the world (especially to places where people shop) what I notice more than anything else is that people are not happier they are crankier but expect others to not notice as much. I think of myself mostly as a happy/cheerful person. Not like a sappy goofy guy who isn't realistic about things, but I'm a generally optimistic and positive guy. When I go places I try to wait on others, taking my turn and not shoving and complaining. For the most part the rest of the world is like that too until it's time for Christmas. Suddenly it's totally acceptable to PUSH your way to the front of a line or grab at merchandise from the shelf like a greedy child. It isn't even this that gets me down about the holidays. It is the fact that for some reason I get treated like I'm a scrooge because I notice it. I recognize that people are behaving poorly and for some reason that makes ME the one who has a problem. I want Christmas to be about the compassion God has for the plight of mankind and about gathering with family and friends and spending time relaxing and finding ways to better know and love one another. Now THAT would be dreaming. Instead I feel like I'd be more realistic asking to have no one steal toys from my shopping cart.