Stress, Big Retailers and Duct Tape

People seem to be really strung out. Like they're having a hard time just keeping up with life in general.

Hand-held electronic media is no doubt a factor, as is the current political climate, but there is something else going on. Something that is putting pressure on everyone. A constant push, push, push that keeps everyone on edge, unable to get caught up, unable to fully enjoy each season of the year.

And I'm pretty sure I've figured out a big part of the problem!

Early last July, one of our trusty 35-year-old coolers died. One side just split wide open. While duct tape could be employed on a temporary basis, we decided to splurge and invest in a replacement. With lots of Summer left, it seemed the best course of action, and since we were in town when the cooler blew, we stopped at the big store with the name that starts with W and ends with T with the intention of purchasing a new cooler.

Once in the store we looked for a new cooler in the area where coolers are normally stocked, during the time of year coolers are normally sold, for the time of year when coolers are normally used.

No coolers in sight, of any kind.

So we looked in others areas where coolers might be stocked.

No coolers.

So we asked one of the ever helpful sales associates to direct us to where the coolers were stocked. The ever helpful sales associate informed us that there were no coolers available. That all that Summer stuff had been removed because the store was switching over to Back-to-School merchandise.

The first week of July.

In the middle of the Summer.

When everyone is supposed to be relaxing and enjoying the warm weather, and sipping cool beverages from their COOLER!

But it didn't end there.

The other day, Labor Day weekend, we happened to visit the same store. The whole place was filled with Halloween stuff.

So there ya have it. Push, push, buy now. Don't relax, don't enjoy, just push on to the next big retail sales event.

Next will be Thanksgiving, which will pushed into mid-October, then Christmas, and on and on.

So it's little wonder folks are so stressed out.

We, however, are not gonna let these big box retailers dictate our lives. We're gonna enjoy our Summer, and Fall, and all the Seasons and Holidays as they occur.

The duct tape will just have to suffice for now. - Geo