I walked into Target the other day, smack in the middle of my first full week of summer vacation, and do you know what I was confronted with? A freakin’ back to school sale sign.
Really?!
Summer is supposed to be a happy time. It’s supposed to be a time when those of us who are part of the educational system leave our 14 hour work days, overabundance of standardized tests, and high stakes teacher evaluation system behind for a few weeks so that we have the energy (and desire) to do it all over again next year.
Retailers, you’re ruining my summer vacation!
And before this turns into a debate about how “easy” teachers have it, and how “lucky” we are to have summers “off,” let’s just agree to disagree and move on. Quite frankly, unless you’ve actually been a public school teacher your opinion doesn’t hold much weight anyway.
I realize that southern states get out of school, and therefor start school, much earlier than we do in the north. So, yes, filling the stores with backpacks, pencils, and sparkly, undented lunch boxes makes sense in those areas. But you can’t tell me that in this day and age, multi-million dollar companies like Walmart or Target can’t figure out a way to run seasonally appropriate sales for different regions of the company?
It’s 2015, people!
It’s July and I can’t find flip flops in any size but 5 or 12, or patio furniture anywhere. What I can find are stacks of pristine notebookes, wireless mice in any color imaginable, and a lot of pissed off teachers.
How is it that we can figure out how to put a man on the moon, but not how to make bathing suits available in stores when I might actually want to wear one?
Here’s an idea; How about you sell seasonal items in the local stores and other sale stuff online? Wow! And I don’t even have a marketing degree!
The fact is, it doesn’t matter how, but you all need to get on top of this situation. It’s summer vacation and you are spoiling it!
It’s early July and I don’t need to be bombarded by reminders that my summer vacation is rapidly drawing to a close. TV ads, flyers in the mail, internet popups, and giant store displays all proclaim it’s time for “Back to School,” even though it isn’t, and won’t be for several weeks.
It’s the emotionally torturous equivalent of those insomniac nights when I stare at the clock thinking of how much sleep I’ll get if I fall asleep right now. I can’t help thinking of my enormous to-do list I’ve barely made a dent in. 1. Relax 2. Plant garden 3. Set up play area for Miss O… then items 10-67 are all the things I need to do to get ready for the upcoming school year, which is apparently starting any second now.
Well, I’m calling bullshit. I’m calling for a return to reason. I’m asking everyone to please. calm. down. and stop trying to make every day an opportunity to sell us more crap we don’t need.
And most of all, I’m begging you, please, quit taking the fun out of summer vacation!
Sincerely,
A very tired teacher
P.S. Just so we’re clear, I love my job. I love teaching, even my crazy, hormonal middle school students. But loving my job doesn’t mean I can’t love vacation, too. In fact, I think that enjoying my vacation makes me a better teacher, in the same way that enjoying my me-time makes me a better mom.
P.P.S. Major props to Christmas Tree Shop whose weekly flyer is all about beach bargains. I love your rebel spirit!
Linked up at Frugal Friday
