Retail Therapy, or How I Lost My Mind

I don’t even know why I bother coming to work anymore. The holiday season is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but all I feel is the weight of the world on my shoulders. People come in here, and it’s like they’re entitled to be happy, like I’m the one who’s supposed to make their Christmas magical. Newsflash: I’m just a college student trying to make ends meet, not a bloody miracle worker. My mind is constantly screaming at me to just tell them all to shove it, but of course, I can’t, or I’d get fired and end up on the streets, just like the ‘poor’ people I’m supposed to be helping.

The worst part is, it’s not even like they’re asking for much. They just want to be left alone, which I get, but do they have to take it out on me? I mean, I’m the one stuck behind the counter, forced to wear this obnoxious green Santa hat and a name tag that makes me look like a complete idiot. It’s like they think I’m just a prop, a mere decoration to add to the festive atmosphere. I swear, sometimes I feel like I’m living in a bad dream, where everyone is just a giant, walking, talking, entitlement-filled nightmare. I’m just a human, for crying out loud, not a walking, talking Christmas tree.

The other day, I was trying to explain to some entitled customer that we were out of stock on a certain toy, and they had the nerve to tell me that I must not be doing my job right. I mean, what even is that? Like, I’m not just a mindless drone, I have thoughts and feelings too, you know. I have dreams and aspirations, not just some bland, cookie-cutter existence where I’m just a cog in the machine. But no, instead of apologizing or even acknowledging my humanity, they just kept on yapping, like I was some kind of inanimate object. It’s times like those that I wonder how much longer I can keep this up, before I finally snap and lose my mind for good.