Why? WHY?!

Why are people so terrible to each other during the holidays?

I guess everyone is always treating everyone else like dirt and I just tend to notice it more around this time of year. It gets under my skin like a botox injection in an aging trophy wife. Every year I find it more of a challenge to stay in the spirit of the season.

None of us are innocent when in comes to random acts of jerkness. I know I've had my fair share in years past. However, some are bigger idiots than others. There are the tailgaters who ride someone's bumper like white on rice because they want the car in front of them to pull into the other lane so they can pass. Let's not stop to think about whether it's feasible for that person to get into the right lane. Let's not think about whether or not there are children in that car who could get seriously injured if we were to rear end the car in front of us. No, no. All that matters is that we make it to EB Games before all the other eighteen-year-old, testosterone-driven males get their hands on the entire stock of "Final Fantasy XXXII: Is This Series Ever Going To End?".

Then there are the other mini-jerks: The person who won't hold the door for a pregnant woman at a store because then she might get in line before they do. The person who bumps into a small child in a crowded Walmart, knocking her down and yet doesn't apologize or stop to see if she's ok. The person who has a grudge against someone from ten years ago, sees him walking down the street on Christmas Eve and doesn't smile or wish him happy holidays, even after all that time. The person who says they don't have five dollars to put in the Salvation Army box in the and then beeline into the jewelry store to buy something excessive to wear to that office party on Friday.

It's true: People suck.

So where are all the good people? Do they hide during the holidays? Do they have 'Nice People Only' parties that the rest of us aren't invited to? Do they fade into the background like the wallpaper at grandma's house? I was thinking about it this morning while driving out to get some shopping done for Christmas and Intrepid's birthday. First, I noticed someone tailgating a car with one of those 'Caution, Baby On Board' signs in the back window. Classy. Then I saw another whip in and out of two lanes of traffic, weaving this way and that without any signals, nearly causing an accident for a family in a minivan.

While in Best Buy, I smiled at a mom and child who were checking out digital cameras. The child smiled back and the woman didn't. She just glared. Apparently it's rude to smile at people now. How dare I interrupt her brooding?

While taking a turn with the stroller and attempting to navigate an aisle full of boxes and stands, I came across a man looking at camcorders and an employee explaining them to him. They looked at me, looked at Gutsy, looked at the stroller and then just went back to what they were doing. Nobody moved, even though a half a foot would have been all I needed to make it by. Why move for me? I'm only encumbered with kids and a bulky stroller, right? They're looking at expensive, shiny things. That's much more important than being a curteous human being.

This is part of the reason I'm an at-home mom. It lets me spend my days with little people who haven't yet been corrupted by stress and self-righteousness. It allows me to believe, for the most part, that the world is full of those who think of others and want to better the planet as a whole, not just in their own backyards. I get to control how much I deal with people who aren't very nice.

When I worked outside the home I was forced into small spaces with the Petty Patrol. You know who I'm talking about: the ones who skulk around the office looking for gossip, drama, anything to email Betty in accounts receivable about during the slow time after lunch.

Betty,

Did you see what Sarah's wearing? Oh. My. God. Her legs are way too fat to wear that skirt. Two words, honey: Jenny Craig.

And I think Danny and Jessica are having an affair. He's married, you know. I don't know for sure, but he stopped by her desk a few minutes ago and they were laughing and stuff. What a homewrecking tramp! Can you un-invite her to your Mary Kay party?

Write back and let me know what's going on with Jeff's promotion. Did you send that anonymous letter yet?

Judy.

I met some great people while working, but there were always a few who seemed to earn the bulk of their paycheques making other people miserable. If I become a lactation consultant, psychologist, social worker or whatever, most of my days will be spent with clients who are presumably trying to better themselves.

Yes, it will. Don't tell me otherwise. I enjoy this fallacy very much, thanks.

As sarcastic and rude as I often am, the spiritual component to me obligates me to try and find something positive out of all of this.

(The spiritual component is a pain and doesn't let me mope very long. The big jerk.)

Ok. Here we go: Maven, instead of focusing on other people's issues and yadda, yadda, yakkity-yak, why don't you look inside you and see what you can do to better the world?

Because, spiritual component, that's way more boring than bitching about other people.

But ok. Thanks to you I came home and packed up a bunch of clothes and some non-perishable food for families in need. Are you happy now?

And thanks to you, I took the time to chat with the friendly cashier at Best Buy who, while ringing up my purchases, spoke sweetly to my children and showed me pictures of her week-old grandson with so much pride in her eyes.

Then, I noticed when the guy, who looked rather grumpy at first, got out of his van as I was loading the gremlins into mine and, without any prompting, said hello to me and smiled.

So where are all the good people? They only appear when you're exiting Best Buy, apparently.

Guess where I'm going to do most of my Christmas shopping this year?