"As the Shoppers rush home with their treasures"

FTLComm - Tisdale - December 17, 2000

Late Saturday afternoon this was the scene in the Tisdale Mall as shopper having worked through their day gathered and exchanged greetings and shared with one another the pleasantries of a busy day. In other years Christmas shopping in Tisdale has been more muted and less obvious but this year there is a real concentration of people coming into town. In the new Radio Shack store downtown we were told that each day there are more and more customers as the Christmas Rush is real this year and building. As we chatted briefly at the counter the story was busy with a steady flow of customers coming and going and making their selections. Tisdale, being what it is, a small town with everyone acquainted with everyone it is not easy to dash about twice we took time out to (like those people above) spend time visiting with people we had not seen in years. This social context of the Christmas shopping routine actually makes the experience a real treat. I find shopping a tiring experience and we were able to take half an hour off for coffee and some forbidden sweets in a restaurant, I highly recommend frequent breaks. Christmas shopping should be an extension of the Christmas spirit, it is not a frantic economic burden but should be enjoyed, time should be set aside for visiting, the occasional rest and laughter. So if you still have things to get by all means go out and expose yourself to the commercial world but make it a good positive experience, sift and smile your way through shopping carts and don't let fatigue catch up on you and ruin a good meaningful experience.

Sincerely Timothy W. Shire