Oh, the holidays are approaching, quicker than even the average shopper can count down the days down to Christmas Day. The decorations are up and the holiday advertisements are all over the TV and newspapers.

I work for a retail store and about two weeks before Halloween, our store was preparing for Christmas. I think it is horrible when you can’t even pause to think about one holiday and the stores are already in the Christmas brainwashing mode. These are the days where you truly miss your childhood years when Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas were separate holidays and not all joined together by sales advertising.

Now that I work it’s hard to tell the one from the other. You have to actually pause to think that Thanksgiving Day is only a week away and Christmas Day isn’t far behind. But the Holiday shoppers are out in full force since Halloween. They come in herds with their young following behind them to destroy the departments that sales floor team members try so hard to keep clean for guests to shop.

Yes, I understand that it is my job to keep the department clean for guests to shop but can someone tell me why guests can’t treat us with some courtesy. They drop clothing on the floor or just put it where is doesn’t even go. Even worse they open up packages to see what the item looks like, like they couldn’t see the picture or the size labeled on the outside of the package.

Now tell me why anyone comes into the store to shop for bras and underwear and not know what size they wear? I have had guests ask me to check their bra size for them, it’s like “ewww there is a fitting room right there, please go look yourself?” Thank God no one has ever asked me his or her underwear size, whew. But man if I haven’t seen it all, I will probably see something this holiday season.

And then you have the little monsters that run around the store messing up and getting lost from their parents who don’t seem to remember that they brought them with them. The parents just seem to shop, shop, shop and then when they are ready to check out that is when they notice that their kids are missing. My advice for parents is if you are not going to take care of them while you shop don’t bring them with you, get a babysitter. And for heaven’s sake don’t yell at your kids for getting lost, they should be yelling at the parents for losing them in the store.

I believe you learn a lot from the people that you work with and that shop in your store. Here are the things I have learned: It’s a job and everyone has to work, so just do it. As if my uniform and name badge doesn’t tell you I work here, I do. Not all guests are right, but they sure try to be. And if you want Christmas decorations or gifts for everyone, do your shopping before Christmas Eve because don’t expect the store to have it for you ready and wrapped.

So during the holiday season please be courteous to the workers in the stores because they can really help you if you are nice to them and treat them with some respect.