Angry?

My parents did not have a car and neither did my husband's.  People who could afford a car could easily afford a chauffeur (getting someone to work for you did not cost much).  Needless to say, we did not know what a parking meter was. When I left for England in 1971, going to work by underground railroad was actually very relaxing. No traffic back ups, no gasoline expense and no parking meters. Then  moving to the US suburbs, driving has been quite smooth. Occasionally I would have to go to Broadway to DMV or other official work and there I either ask my husband to drop me or stay in the car so there is no parking violation.  My husband is very helpful when he sees that you are vulnerable and he knows that I panic while pulling out the car from a narrow parking spot onto the busy traffic of the busiest place of businesses. How I wish I was like some of my friends who can zoom in and out of tiny spaces without hesitation. I do put a quarter in the parking meter anyway in spite of my husband yelling at me. I simply say I do not want to be penny wise and pound foolish, you never know if there is a dime-size camera or even what about our inner voice. He keeps grumbling and I am quiet telling myself that I did the right thing.

So, I may be paranoid about breaking rules. Does our government need that quarter? I am not so sure about that. According to a disgruntled driver, he was given so many unfair parking tickets that he could not take it anymore. So what does he do? He goes and shuts the coin slots, dollar slots, and even credit card slots in a lot of parking meters with glue. The police have their way of finding out when vandalism of this kind takes place. They stayed on top of things and now he is arrested.

My question is when people find things to be unfair, have they ever heard about people who did not have a right to vote in some countries?

Second Best

My father used to say that my mother used to be a very stylish lady and she was.  She used to wear beautiful sarees, beautiful jewelry, beautiful shoes, and always carried beautiful handbags. As our family grew bigger my parent's budget got rearranged several times. My mother would not buy new things, but we survived.

Dealing with vendors, discussing the slightest change in the shade of a piece of clothing, a zipper pull not being of the exact style or even the shape of the buttons not having the details it should, had turned me into one of those people. You know who I am talking about.Those people to whom style meant everything. I mean that was my job, checking and making sure that even baby clothes are perfect to the specifications of styles. Working for a better brand company I had to oblige by the rules. Now that I am working in customer service I am beginning to understand the very nature of our economy. I have understood that one of the culprits for our diminishing dollar is our health care cost. Little did I realize that it could be the struggle of keeping up with the joneses.

A lot of clothes are on sale now. Not just clothes, but shoes, jewelry, handbags and things you decorate your house with.

Today on Linkedin someone had asked a question about trends in retail. My answer was that customers have changed from endcap shoppers to need based shopper. This is true (except for my husband who picks up dog food, just because it was on the endcap, even though we don't have a dog any more.) This answer of mine was derived from the fact that some young people think that it is the duty of their parents to buy the best of everything for them. When all of the big brands were sold, a young lady told her mother (who was happy to pay two hundred dollars for an eight hundred dollar coat) that the second best will have to do. I think that my HR lady was right to put me in this job.

After Thoughts

Before I forget I would like to thank everyone who reads what I have to say. My blogger page does not show any pictures or links, so I can't personally say thanks. I would like to read everyone's blog as well.  Also thanks everyone for each of your blog entries. All of the blogs that I read are full of inspiration and/or information. Like Hillary from Positive Notes would say "Cheers"!

OK, so I may be a little self-absorbed these days but am I so oblivious that I did not feel when 2011 came and went by ? I guess when work kind of consumes you and you have duties stacked up even after work hours people just tend to ignore their own hobbies. I did try to read though because writing is something that needs to be read and good writing does not come by just like that. So once again thanks everyone for writing.

I also would like to mention how good it makes me feel when I find out that some people who I know as bloggers are now actually published writers. Ann of Inkpots and Quills , Sharon Mahew of  Random thoughts, Tracy of  My thoughtful spot, Elizebeth Mueller, Dorris Plaster of Hold My Hand and last but not least Michael Offut of SLC Kismet who is a soon to be published author this year (whose book I still have to bookmark in Good Read.). I would like to apologise if I have not mentioned anyone else.

My elders have told me that we are the designers of our own destiny. I guess for them memory loss may not have been an issue. I may have to design my own destiny around that handicap in case my brain gives in.  I have been pretty good with my memory ever since I have taken control of my own meds. I have to remember that my health is my own responsibility.

I am sure by now most of my blogger friends have heard these good news of three sets of twins being born with a time difference of a minute or so, hence having birth dates in two different years. Congratulations to the proud parents in New York, in Minnesota, and in Florida. Also welcome new babies. We will try to make this world as comfy as possible. It may not match your mother's womb but we will do our best to keep you warm.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays everyone.  Best wishes from my family and me for the Holidays, for the New Year, and the years to come.

Tension building up - - -

The scene at work has totally changed from what it was a week ago. It is interesting and painful at the same time. I mean the happiness and chuckle that was in the voice of customers just a week ago has suddenly changed into rudeness and defensiveness. When people were helping each other and exchanging coupons and letting people cut in line a few days ago it was like Christmas was already there in the store. Now people are getting impatient and fiesty and insensitive about other people's needs. It seems like they are entitled for the best and fastest service. Am I right in attributing this tense situation to bad planning on some people's part or is it that the fact that some of us cannot afford to get presents is making things seem darker than they are? Or maybe a lot more is going on with people who are tense more than they have to be.

I must have sent half a dozen blessings to Paul, the trainer who taught me how to be a good sales person a long time ago. I must have had six different jobs since then, but this holiday period each one of the tips  is coming handy.  So today when customers come and ask me what they can get for their spouses or kids, the first thing I ask them is how much they can afford. Then when the customer says that he can charge, I simply suggest that they get what they can afford without having to charge, so they don't get "after holidays" worries. They look at me strange, but believe it or not a couple of young people actually told their parents that they are fine with just one gift each. It was then like a blessing was around us. People heard each other talk. Then they wanted to do the same. Three other customers got the idea of buying only one gift each for their family members. While I was standing calmly hoping that I have solved a problem or two, someone who worked in the store was complaining that instead of selling I was stopping people from spending. What are we to do? Let the tension build just so our numbers go up?

Michael Offutt: I'm a Pied Piper and the Easily Flushed Blog Hop

Michael Offutt: I'm a Pied Piper and the Easily Flushed Blog Hop Congratulations on the award you just recieved. All those bloggers are new to me. I will read their blogs one by one as soon as I get a chance. Also I will tweet about the polar bear and post it on my blog too, as soon as I figure out how. I am tchnologically challenged so it may take some time.
Please read Michael's blog. He is a Sci-Fi writer soon to be published and is a recipient of several of blog awards.

Pains behind gift giving

My brother, a retired US Navy Chief is loved by family and friends and coworkers alike for his hard work and his sense of humor. However, when he came to the US in 1977,  he was not very confident about how he would survive as he had not finished his college. Our Mom used to worry about his future as well, you know how people worry about a man supporting his wife and kids. Then he joined the Navy and soon after that he met a very nice girl. She became an inspiration for him. He pulled through the verbal abuse that comes with the basic training and the physical hardships as well. They had a simple wedding and he would sometimes take her on his ship and sometimes leave her home with her parents. When they had a beautiful baby girl, he did the same thing. A year later, they had one more cutie. Now a father of two little girls, he would go abroad sometimes leaving them with his in-laws and somtimes with our Mom and very rarely taking them with him. Now that he is retired, he spends a lot of quality time with his wife and his daughters who are in their teenage years, teaches them how to stay away from troubles and the importance of education. However, when it comes to spending money, anyone who knows him thinks that he is spoiling them. He says that when his wife and kids ask for something, no matter how expensive it may be he will not say no. His logic is that they were very patient when he was away and very supportive when he would be too tired to do anything fun with them. He always says that what they gave him is more than he could ever give them, so he tries to buy them what ever they want.
When I come home from work and talk to my husband about how people are spending money, he tells me that I do not know what they could be going through. He tells me to look at my brother and understand people's pain behind their gift giving.