I was at the mall today. I don't usually spend a whole lot of time at the mall because I'm not about "shopping". I started to wonder about the people who visit the mall – what were they like?
What I noticed was that most of them were in their own little world - walking around with a self-involved glaze over their eyes. Of the dozen or so people I smiled at only about 3 made full eye contact with me. Some were a very quick "hi" as they half-looked-up at me, but really off to the side and down. One lady who actually took a moment to chat with me made a point of saying she was at the mall to pick up a gift for a neighbour and that it was a "have to" gift. She didn't get in to it, but when I pointed out that gift giving shouldn't be about "have to" and that "doesn't a real gift come from the heart?", she replied "not this one..." and carried on. What struck me as sad was that just by the look on most people's faces it seemed that not many of them were really happy - or at least they weren’t happy to be there. One lady who worked for the mall was pushing a cleaning cart around - trudging down the hall at a snail's pace. The look on her face was deadly. She was NOT happy... and it showed! Why don't we take more initiative to do the things that make us happy? I saw a sign the other day on a billboard at a church. It didn't say anything about God, church or religion. It simply said "what we do every day is how we spend our lives". As someone who enjoys a very simple day-to-day, it made me stop to ponder. I wonder if this simple day-to-day will equate to an extraordinary life?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About Me
- Turtle Guy
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- English student, Pottery enthusiast, Yoga novice and lover of all people. I make friends over a warm handshake and a beverage. I discover, every day, someone willing to help me along my path.
4 comments:
If I ask myself, am I happy, i think that the answer is yes. i love my husband, love my daughter, enjoy my job and we have plenty of money to put food on the table a roof over our heads and do something extra sometimes. could i be happier? yes, i miss my horses, my extended family and would love to travel more.
but basically
i am happy.
other people, i dont know.
going to mall used to make make me happy. now it induces feelings like... oh, what have I done to deserve this????
:)))
it's a huge myth at this time of year... you gotta go spend lots of money... you gotta go buy lots of presents... you gotta go empty out the ATM... you gotta go do a whole bunch of stuff that in reality has very little to do what this holiday is based upon....
but that is ending my sentence with a preposition, and so I guess that is all for me today...
You've hit the nail on the head, TG. Gifts should come from the heart.
Then again... it is always dangerous to judge anyone based on the expression on their face... misery is a terrible affliction for the many, I'm sad to say...
That silly preposition rule is something up with which we should not put.
(Misquoted from Winston Churchill)
It's so hard to get enthused about the season. Stores had their decorations up before Halloween in some case, we're inundated with buy, buy, buy, and the latest battle here in the States is whether or not it's Christmas.
I don't have a dog in that fight.
For me it's Christmas in spite of what the commercial interests have done to ruin it. If someone else prefers "Happy Holiday", it's okay with me.
I go through these doldrums every year. Bye the time we put up the tree and , I dig out my extremely traditional Christmas music, I'm over it and out in the stores looking for stuff for the girls.
I think our church is doing a pot luck on Christmas Eve followed by a candlelight service. A first for the girls if they can stay up that long.
And oh yes, if I'm not totally happy at all times, I'm not miserable.
Post a Comment