Let’s Talk Turkey – Christmas Reflections

Ok, one holiday down, one more to go.  How are you doing so far?  How was your Christmas?  Were you overwhelmed by everything around you?  Did you stop and consider the real reason for the season?  So many questions.  It is so easy to get lost in all the hoopla surrounding Christmas.  So easy to forget what Christmas really means.

Christmas is almost synonymous with gift giving.  We sometimes feel inadequate if we cannot get a gift for a loved one.  On the flip side, we also feel hard done by if a loved one does not give us a gift.  I am not sure why the gift giving, especially when it’s between people who can afford their own gifts but you know what? I am not knocking it.  I have gotten some darn good items, thanks to this tradition.  It would seem weird if my friends exchanged presents with each other at my birthday party, wouldn’t it?

Shopping is another activity that goes hand in hand with Christmas. Shop till you drop seems to be the acceptable mantra.  Gifts, food for the parties, clothes, boxing day sales, buy buy buy!  Again, I am not sure how this ties in with Christmas but someone is making a killing, don’t look at me.

Even though I partake in all the above mentioned Christmas activities and delight in them, I would have no problem with Christmas being more of a time to focus than to stress out over who gets what and who gives what.  I would enjoy the old-fashioned style of Christmas that you see depicted in stories of old.  Where parents tell their kids stories while they listen in rapture.  I would enjoy a Christmas where we the fortunate ones take the opportunity to get ‘gifts’ for the less fortunate.  I know some of us do include this in our list of ‘things we do at Christmas’ but I would like to see the stress placed on it.  We say ‘Christmas is for children’,  I couldn’t disagree more.  It’s not for Children.  It’s for all of us.  If we consider all of us God’s children, then yes, it is for children.

In case you are wondering, “If you like it that way why don’t you celebrate it that way then?” Well I do.  Kinda.  As a team effort it would be even more special and far reaching.  Just imagine it.

Have a Happy New Year!  And remember, it’s all my takes.

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Don’t be a Christmas grump

This morning, I woke up early.  Too early for a Saturday morning but it wasn’t your ordinary Saturday morning.  This was the last Saturday before Christmas and with only 3 more days to go, I had to make every shopping chance count.  So I went to Costco tire shop to have tires installed on our van and wandered into the store to pick up a few things.  While inside, I was jostled and pushed in every direction but guess what, I didn’t lose my cool.  I kept a positive air about me and went about my business as though I was alone in the store.  I watched and listened to my fellow shoppers as they swore and stalked around the store as if someone was trespassing on their personal property.

Now if you are one of those people who get annoyed and stress out over things they cannot control, please don’t go out to the malls.  You should have made your shopping earlier anyways.  It’s Christmas if you didn’t notice and that means chaos at the stores.  With a capital C.  You do not own the store.  You do not have VIP status.  You are not a star.  Grin and bear it or stay in the safe confines of your home.  Sorry.

Oh, and do not be like that rude woman who saw it fit to cut off everyone in line.  If you cannot stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen, plain and simple.

And it’s not just my take.

Beware Of Those Darn Upsellers And Their Lost Leaders

You know what I’m talking about, right?  You hurry to the store to get your hands on an advertised item.  Just when you are about to get it off the shelf, a voice goes, “I wouldn’t buy that if I were you.”  You look around expecting a customer who wants to duel for the item but no, it’s a sales clerk.

“Say what?”  ”I said I wouldn’t buy that if I were you.  That’s no good.  I had one and it worked for a month.”  You are confused.  ”But, but…why do you guys  carry it then?  You are selling something that’s useless?”  This is messed up. “Don’t worry, sir.  Come let me show you a better product.  It might cost you a bit more but it lasts forever.”

Your scenario might be a bit different but the same ending.  The conspiratorial sales clerk who just met you but willing to go against his boss to get you the best product.

I took my car to get an oil change the other day, using a coupon that offered a discount on the price of the oil.  It didn’t stop the mechanic from trying to upsell me.   “This one keeps your engine running smoother and is better for gas mileage.”  Yes, of course it was a bit more.  It’s usually is a ‘bit more’.  ”No, I’ll stick with the one on sale.  ”Ok sir, no problem.   For a bit more though, would you like us to flush the engine, check your tires, change your oil, check your lights, toot your horn etc.?”  And I thought all that was included…How much is the etc.?

Here’s a classic example and one that I will never forget because I was the victim.  I went to buy some speakers for my karaoke system, nothing expensive.  A store in town had some for $100 that I was interested in, so off I went to pick them up.  I was ready to buy them when a clerk came up to me.  He asked what I wanted the speakers for and I told him.  ”Before you buy, come with me for a sec.”  I had time to burn so I followed him like the Pied Piper.  He took me too a  room and made me listen to a demo from some Nuance speakers.  They were impressive!  The price was more than a ‘bit more’, like $5000 more.  I bought them and less than a year later, I bought the karaoke speakers that I really needed.  Totally fleeced!

How about that car dealer? I have had more than my share of them.  I would see a car that I was interested in, only to be told that it was a lemon, it needed brakes, it wouldn’t work for me.  The Salesman seemed to always know what was right for me.  ”Don’t worry, we have just the car for you.  I know what you will look good in.”  Maybe another dealer?  In their best I-am-your-body voice, they would say stuff like, “This one costs $14000 but between us, I could swing it for $13000.  Just between us, the boss doesn’t have to know.”  Really! I am so excited! You are willing to screw your boss over  for me even though we just met?  Is it my tight ass and ruggedly handsome looks?

(The scantily clad female bartenders work the same way.  Why do you think your man always come home drunk?  And he’s not even a drinker).

This holiday season, look out for those upsellers.  Don’t fall for the ‘Lost Leaders’.  These are the products they mark down ridiculously to get you into the store, then when you arrive, they try their shtick on you.  Usually, these items are already gone because supply was limited but don’t worry, they can sell you something that’s the same but better, and cost ‘a bit more.’

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Opening your gifts

 

I was thinking, like I always do, about what I would have liked to be doing instead of doing what I’m doing.  Where would I be and so on and so on.  This thought led to another and another and soon enough, I was thinking about the gifts that we are all born with and how some of these are extraordinary and unique yet they sit in our mental cupboards, unopened.  We are scared to open them as doing so could drastically change our lives the way we knew it.  We are influenced by our peers not to open them or we are too shy.

 

On Christmas morning, parents sit with expectant looks on their faces as they watch their little ones rip at the gift wrappings on their presents.  Cameras are cocked and ready to record the looks of excitement and glee on the little ones faces as they see what is inside.  Upon opening a much-wanted present, all unwrapping comes to an end as the child is now occupied with that one gift.  “Come over here and open the other presents you have under the tree”.  Each present is special and without opening each one, the child would never know if there’s one that trumps his now-prized present.

 

This can be the used to describe our lives.  We choose our paths based on financial reasons, popularity, peer pressure or other.  We settle on that one gift that make us at least comfortable.  We have not explored our other gifts because we feel comfortable ‘settling’ with what we have.  Married with kids and a basically comfortable life, we fear rolling the dice could upset our lives and so our gift, our unique talent is left unopened and unexplored.

What is your talent that sits unopened?  Life is short, rip it open and see where it takes you.

 

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My Directbuy Experience

Yesterday evening my wife and I took the plunge and attended an open house at Directbuy.  Considering we are building a house and would be needing appliances, it was a great idea to see what’s out there to save us some money.

We walked in and were immediately confronted by a throng of smiling, happy and eager sales agents.  They acted like we were long-lost friends that they hadn’t seen in a while.  I immediately felt uncomfortable.  It was like entering your house only to be greeted by a houseful of guests yelling ‘Surprise!’

An elderly gentleman looking very much like an overly enthusiastic Andy Griffith came over to us and said he was basically our chaperone for the evening.  He took us to a table and asked some basic and sometimes silly questions.  ”Do you like to buy things on sale?” “Do you like markups?”  He actually waited for answers too.  After plying us with coffee and water, he ushered us into a room where about five couples were already seated in preparation for the presentation.

The presentation was given by another guy.  It was cheesy to say the least, with some more silly questions and a few videos of members extolling the virtues of having a membership at Directbuy. Their smiles and tones made me want to laugh but I held it in and feigned interest.

An hour later it was over, the presentation that is.  Andy Griffith came back and escorted us from the room and back to our conference table.  He again asked us, ‘So do you like markups?” “Would you shop at a place that didn’t have any markups?” And yes, he again waited for our answers.  After more dallying, he finally came right out and said it.   “You should buy a membership today”.  Just like that.  There was no ‘Would you be interested or go home and think about it, just  ”You should buy a membership today.”  When we nicely declined his generous offer, he took it up and notch and informed us that should we not get it, we would not be allowed access for seven years.  Did I mention it was at a cost of $5290? It would have been $6290 but we were VIP and got $100 off. (In my best infomercial voice:  Act now and save yourself 100 dollars off the cost of a membership!)

After almost three hours, we finally escaped without committing to part with any of our hard-earned cash.

Note: Maybe some of you are members of Directbuy and it’s working for you.  I won’t argue the benefits.  This was just not something we thought would work for us and I was very uncomfortable with their in your face tactics.  Maybe we would have saved a few thousand dollars but would that have covered our membership cost? I didn’t think so.

Michael Jackson

I grew up on the Jackson 5.   Michael was the first and probably only, singer that I wanted to be like.  I bought his outlandish clothes, posters, stickers and anything else that even vaguely referred to him.   Did I mention that I also collected his cassettes, records, cds and dvd?  Heck, I love the guy!

Even during his darkest times and his eccentricities, I still respected and loved MJ.  In my eyes, he was always this playful, funny little kid who wanted to stay that way and enjoy the many things only kids can enjoy.  In a way, I related.

When Michael Jackson died, a little piece of me died that day.   I chose to omit and not process the circumstances surrounding his demise.   It didn’t really matter that he had paid the ultimate price in his attempt to make the whole world happy even while sacrificing his own unhappiness.  No one but MJ is responsible for creating the man and the myth.  No one but him should be blamed for his premature death.  He was already down the road to self-destruction where no doctor  and no medication could have  saved him from.  End the circus. Llet him rest in the peace that eluded him in life.

Just my take.