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When the holiday spirit goes overboard
Dec. 16th, 2009 05:18 pmAt this time of the year, with so many forms of winter and religious holidays coming at us from every direction like an out of control car on the southbound I-5, it only makes sense to see people celebrating in their own ways and expressing their own form of holiday cheer. Some of these forms of festivity I instantly relate to and appreciate: the sweet and spicy scent of holiday baking, the trimming of the trees, and one of my guilty pleasures – a relaxing evening in front of the TV on the 24th to watch “A Christmas Story”.
Yet, there are some parts of this time of the year that I just really don’t get, and simply cannot relate to. I really don’t mean to come across as a Grinch. I fully understand and appreciate that everyone can and should do their own thing. But some things just strike me as… well… silly.
In my office, I live in a typical Dilbertesque world of cube and office-dwellers. After years as a corporate peon, I finally moved from being a cube-dweller to having an office with a door. OOOOOH! Touch me! A few of the more senior upper-lower-peons like myself also have doors. And as part of their observance to the December holidays, they decorate their doors – more specifically, they giftwrap their doors. The entire door is coated in wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, etc. One day, I noticed one co-workers who took up much of her morning decorating various people’s doors. I stopped to watch what she was doing, and must have had a very loud face, as she stopped what she was doing to talk to me.
“Isn’t this fun?” she asked me. Since the coffee had not yet kicked in, when my mouth opened, the unadorned truth sprung out. “If you say so,” I said. “But honestly, I don’t get it.”
“I’m decorating,” she said, as if it weren’t obvious. “You see, by wrapping the door, it makes the whole office look like it is one big present.” I stared at her blankly, wondering if she had cracked into some special chocolate truffles or something. “What’s wrong?” she asked unsuspectingly. “Doesn’t it look like a big present to you?”
“Um… no.” I replied. “It looks like you gift-wrapped a door. Not much of a shock here when the person unwraps it. Low and behold, it’ll be a door!” She gave me the look of little Cindy-Lou Who right before asking, “Why Santa? WHY are you taking our Christmas tree?”
Sorry but… I just don’t get it. Lights? I’m good with that. Garland? Bring it on. Fun ornaments? Sure, why not? But gift-wrapping your door? Seriously.
Yet, there are some parts of this time of the year that I just really don’t get, and simply cannot relate to. I really don’t mean to come across as a Grinch. I fully understand and appreciate that everyone can and should do their own thing. But some things just strike me as… well… silly.
In my office, I live in a typical Dilbertesque world of cube and office-dwellers. After years as a corporate peon, I finally moved from being a cube-dweller to having an office with a door. OOOOOH! Touch me! A few of the more senior upper-lower-peons like myself also have doors. And as part of their observance to the December holidays, they decorate their doors – more specifically, they giftwrap their doors. The entire door is coated in wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, etc. One day, I noticed one co-workers who took up much of her morning decorating various people’s doors. I stopped to watch what she was doing, and must have had a very loud face, as she stopped what she was doing to talk to me.
“Isn’t this fun?” she asked me. Since the coffee had not yet kicked in, when my mouth opened, the unadorned truth sprung out. “If you say so,” I said. “But honestly, I don’t get it.”
“I’m decorating,” she said, as if it weren’t obvious. “You see, by wrapping the door, it makes the whole office look like it is one big present.” I stared at her blankly, wondering if she had cracked into some special chocolate truffles or something. “What’s wrong?” she asked unsuspectingly. “Doesn’t it look like a big present to you?”
“Um… no.” I replied. “It looks like you gift-wrapped a door. Not much of a shock here when the person unwraps it. Low and behold, it’ll be a door!” She gave me the look of little Cindy-Lou Who right before asking, “Why Santa? WHY are you taking our Christmas tree?”
Sorry but… I just don’t get it. Lights? I’m good with that. Garland? Bring it on. Fun ornaments? Sure, why not? But gift-wrapping your door? Seriously.
