The Unsung Heroes of the Holidays
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By: Elizabeth Cowan
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Usually, unsung heroes are the men and women who are the first responders in tragic situations or everyday happenstances.
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However, before Christmas, a frenzy sweeps through the land. If you have not noticed this holiday flurry, you must be one of those rare unicorns who shop in person. If you are, kudos to you because you contribute to the well-being of businesses operating in buildings instead of online.
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Every time you walk into a store and purchase something, you not only make the owners happy, but you also help to keep them in business.
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As for the rest of us, sometimes that includes this lady, we tap on a few keys, scroll through the offerings, click on the items and the checkout button, and make our purchases. Then, we need patience. Waiting for purchases to appear on our doorsteps is stressful.
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Online shopping is too easy. But Hubby enjoyed spending hours driving from one store to another until he found inspiration or what he needed, and often more. However, this lady refuses to fall into the online shopping trap completely.
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She draws the line at groceries, clothes, and shoes because if the produce is not as fresh as she would prefer, then her tizzy button goes off, and she rants as she drives to the grocery store and picks out her preferred produce.
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It is a somewhat similar situation when it comes to clothing and shoes. There is a reason she prefers to try on shoes before buying them. It is called a good fit and comfort. For some reason, either her feet decide to mess with her and change sizes, or as is the case with clothing, sometimes one brand’s size fits better than another’s.
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She learned her lesson after ordering a cute shirt that called to her. But when it arrived, the top that she absolutely had to have was so long on her that it could have been a very inappropriate dress. Although Amazon and other companies have made returns as painless and convenient as possible, this lady still had to waste almost two hours to drop the shirt off at the UPS Store.
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As you can see, her logic is impeccable. If she has to drive somewhere to shop, the trip is less aggravating, even if she does not find what she is looking for. Practicality is her motto.
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In any case, so many jobs performed by others are underappreciated. For example, just because someone stands behind the register checking out customers’ purchases does not mean they should be dismissed and not treated with kindness. After all, exercising good manners costs us nothing. But the person on the receiving end might appreciate your smile more than your rudeness.
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To this day, this lady recalls a sign she saw as a child. “Smile. Even a grump doesn’t like to do business with a grump.”
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Before the big day, we shop online more feverishly than during the rest of the year. At least, we hope that is the case regarding your credit card debt. Everyone’s orders must be properly packaged, shipped, and delivered in time for the much-anticipated gifting and getting day.
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As you can imagine, all those nameless, at least to us, are critical to buying online. It may be convenient for you, but the workers behind the scenes have to function efficiently.
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Consequently, this lady believes the unsung heroes of the holidays are all the delivery drivers. Whether they work for Amazon, UPS, USPS, or Federal Express, their deliveries must be completed daily.
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So, this lady is used to delivery trucks at this time of year. With a few exceptions, they usually arrive before dark thirty. ??
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However, the other night, it was after eight in the evening when she heard the rumble of a truck.
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It is pitch black out where we live, and at first, she thought it was an ambulance at the wrong address. Then, with a flashlight in hand, the driver made what this lady hoped for his sake was the final delivery of his night.
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Thank you, unsung heroes.
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A great gift for any occasion:
Fractured Proverbs and Twisted Thoughts????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????