Thank you so much! I actually wrote this a few years ago, and during the holidays I often think of this one. Though this is a redux with a few changes/additions.
This was influenced by something that happened to me years ago when I worked retail The employees were told to only say 'happy holidays.' I refused, and continued saying "Merry Christmas," though I'd do it quietly, and often with a handshake as I thanked the customer. I sold very expensive fine jewelry, big bucks, so you needed to treat the customer well...which I always did. Which is why I had a huge customer following. I wrote nearly $5 million in sales in a department that did $8 million. Customers came back because I really helped them, many to save money and I treated them nicely. For my repeat customers, I thanked many of them in their language...Russian, Spanish, Italian, French.
Anyway the point of all this is I said Merry Christmas to a customer who said to me, "I'm Jewish." So I immediately wished him a Happy Chanukah and he smiled and we shook hands, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That's the way it should be, wishing each other the joy of our own particular holiday. No need to take offense if you don't celebrate. Just say thank you. Why try to ruin someone else's spirit.
That' part of the problem with this world...no tolerance.
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Date: 2016-12-22 12:44 am (UTC)This was influenced by something that happened to me years ago when I worked retail The employees were told to only say 'happy holidays.' I refused, and continued saying "Merry Christmas," though I'd do it quietly, and often with a handshake as I thanked the customer. I sold very expensive fine jewelry, big bucks, so you needed to treat the customer well...which I always did. Which is why I had a huge customer following. I wrote nearly $5 million in sales in a department that did $8 million. Customers came back because I really helped them, many to save money and I treated them nicely. For my repeat customers, I thanked many of them in their language...Russian, Spanish, Italian, French.
Anyway the point of all this is I said Merry Christmas to a customer who said to me, "I'm Jewish." So I immediately wished him a Happy Chanukah and he smiled and we shook hands, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That's the way it should be, wishing each other the joy of our own particular holiday. No need to take offense if you don't celebrate. Just say thank you. Why try to ruin someone else's spirit.
That' part of the problem with this world...no tolerance.