Oh Beware: This is a Rant

When I awoke at around 3:10 this morning, after getting about 3 hours of sleep after staying up a little too late cherishing time with my family and some friends I don't see often, I was flooded with many different anger-related feelings....which I guess isn't so out of the blue, given the circumstances. Of course that's pretty normal, because who wants to wake up at 3 o clock in the morning to go work retail anyway. But I was so exhausted and I just started to think. That I have to go out of my way....take time out of my relaxation...completely waste an entire day of my holiday....and for what?
For greed.
Our country's unemployment rates are at an all time high.
We've been in a recession.
So what do people do?
Shop.
For toys.
And pots and pans.
And luggage.
And slippers.
And whatever other ridiculous thing they can get their hands on.
It really is a shame.
And I have to sit there and listen to their backhanded comments about how the line is so slow and they are so tired because they had to get up in the middle of the night to do this.
No shit. (pardon my language)
I, who am working as fast as I possibly can to get people through this line also had to get up in the middle of the freaking night to cater to YOU. So thank you for telling me how not great of a job I am doing, even though I'm working as hard as possible.
Oh you're just joking?
I'm doing a great job? Oh thanks.
And then there's stuff like this....
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/25/black-friday-violence-reported-at-stores-across-country/
which is just ridiculous.

I'm sorry.
I know I'm probably sounding crazy...but it just makes me so sad for our nation. Why are we so obsessed with STUFF?
I obviously can't say that I don't have the occasional spend-too-much shopping trip...but it seems like it's just gotten so out of hand over the years.
And I'm just not feeling the present thing this year for Christmas.
Initially it was that I just won't be able to afford gifts for all of my loved ones because I am saving money for travel...but now I just don't want to have anything to do with gifts this Christmas.
As cheesy as it sounds...if I could have my entire family with me for Christmas, no matter how loud and crazy that would be....I would be the luckiest freakin girl in the 'verse. And I wouldn't need a single stinking gift from any one of them.
So please, if you were thinking of getting me a gift this Christmas...you really don't need to. Just seeing your face or hearing your voice is going to be sufficient for me, I assure you!
I love getting people birthday gifts and thoughtful gifts, because I feel like those are really special times. But I really don't know how genuinely special Christmas has come to be anymore.
It's very disappointing to me...but that's how I feel.
So I'll sing the songs and smile the smiles...but my heart just won't be the same this Christmas...because I won't be with everyone that I love and I won't get to see all the faces that I want to see. But I will sure be happy with the ones I do get to see!

My apologies for this long, depressing rant.
But it had to be said. And I feel much better for it.

And yes, I'm gonna go watch a Christmas movie now.
Because Elf is coming on TV.
And it will make me smile :)


laurenthevampireslayer ranting until there's no tomorrow....