Christmas Story, Episode 1…The Discount Christmas tree
Quite a few years ago, on one of the first days of December, I drove my van out to shop for a real Christmas tree at the neighborhood Christmas tree “farm” that appears about the same time every year, at the same intersection and disappears with the leftover trees early the following January.
I wandered down each aisle of trees, followed closely by a high school kid (probably just working part-time to make a little Christmas spending money) and she would pull out every tree I seemed interested in so I could get a better look at it. I finally found a six-foot tree and commented on how perfect it was but that the price was just a little too high. She thought about it for a moment and offered me a discounted price. I agreed. I helped her carry it back to my van, loaded it through the side door and I followed her inside to pay for it. She stepped up to the counter and said, “Four footer, $7.50″. “Wait a minute, let me take a look at that tree!” said her “must-have- been-because-he-had-a-bossy-tone-to-his-voice” supervisor as he asked to see the tree. Back at the van, I opened the side doors, he reached in and pulled out the tree. He stood it up, confirmed his suspicions, turned to her and said, “THIS is NOT a four-foot tree…..you’re FIRED!!”
Long story short? I got the tree, she lost her job…….and didn’t even get a tip. I think that was the last time I bought a real tree.
Do you think that maybe I felt a little bit of guilt for her losing that job? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!