I’m Taking The Pledge

I had to go run a few errands today and as expected, on Thanksgiving weekend, it was f*%!ing crazy out there.

I don’t like to waste my time any more than the next person does. I don’t like to stand in lines. I don’t like to be stuck in traffic or wait five minutes to back out of a parking space.

But like I said, when I went out today, I expected it.

And the reason there are so many people out and about is because it is the beginning of the Christmas season.

You know, THE SEASON OF JOY. The time of year where even more than usual, you are supposed to be enjoying the experience of giving.

But there are so many people who act just the opposite.

And it really frustrates me.

So, I have written the Christmas Season Pledge.

Of course, we shouldn’t need to be reminded of any of these things. But, for whatever reason, we do.

So please read, and then, if you are so inclined, in the spirit of Christmas, take the damn pledge.

1. I pledge to acknowledge other human beings and to even smile at them. Even if I don’t know them. Especially if I don’t know them.
2. I pledge to return my shopping cart so when someone goes to pull into a space, there isn’t a cart standing there in the middle of it, causing an even bigger shortage of available parking spaces. No matter how far I have to walk to return it.
3. I pledge to hold the door for the person behind me.
4. I pledge to thank the person in front of me who has held the door for me.
5. I pledge to take someone else’s cart if I am walking by them and they have just finished unloading it and I think it would help them out.
6. I pledge to give other people the benefit of the doubt. If they cut me off in the parking lot or refuse to let me back out, I will take a deep breath, repeat, and then remind myself that I have no idea what happened to them earlier in the day. Rather than assume they are just a total asshole, I will presume they recently lost their job or had a massive fight with their spouse or have a family member who is very ill, are battling something else really challenging, are new parents and got no sleep last night, or are just stressed out and did something dumb.
7. I pledge to wave people ahead, give people the right of way, and let people merge into traffic. And I will smile while I’m doing it.
8. I pledge to anticipate everything taking twice as long as it normally does, and to keep my expectations of how much I can get done in an hour very low.
9. I pledge, rather than waiting for ten minutes with my blinker on for the closest possible spot to the store entrance, to take the opportunity to get some fresh air and a little extra exercise, and to park in a readily available spot that is far away from the front door. Then I can eat an extra Christmas cookie guilt free. Plus, I’ll actually get inside the store faster than I would have had I waited on my butt in the car with the blinker on for that closer spot for ten minutes.
10. I pledge to embody the spirit of the season wherever I am. Especially when it’s at Walmart or in the Costco parking lot.