Time for school! Wait- What?

Just after the fourth of July weekend, I went to the store to get something for my yard.  I was a bit put off when I walked into the seasonal section to find school supplies had replaced all the garden/yard materials.  Really? I thought school didn’t start until the end of August.  Do school supplies need to be purchased so far in advance? I think not.  Oh, by the way, the item I was looking for was nowhere else in the store.  They no longer had the item!

This is almost as bad as walking into a store in September and finding myself overwhelmed with Christmas decorations.  I never have appreciated that.  In September, I want to see Autumn decorations.  I want to appreciate Fall for Fall.  Let me enjoy the cooler temps and the leaves changing color.  Don’t bombard me with a holiday that’s three months away! Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against Christmas.  In fact, it’s my favorite holiday.  But I want to celebrate Christmas in December.  I also prefer to celebrate Thanksgiving in November and Halloween in October.  Is that too much to ask?

Here’s something else that irritates me.  There’s a  craft store I occasionally go to which also has a seasonal section, and I enjoy browsing their shelves.  However, if I want to purchase something for the next holiday, depending on when I go, I may have to turn to the clearance aisle to find what I’m looking for even though the holiday hasn’t arrived yet.  Come on! That’s ridiculous! Let me give you an example.  Earlier this year, I was browsing items for St. Patrick’s day.  I went back to the store a couple weeks before March 17^th so I could make a purchase.  However, the St. Patrick’s day items were already in the clearance section.  Why? Because the store needed space to put the Easter items! I understand stores need to make money, and I get that they want to make as much as they can.  And I understand why some customers would enjoy this.  After all, who wouldn’t enjoy spending less money on an item they need and/or want for a holiday that’s a couple weeks away? Does anybody else get annoyed by this, though?

I wonder what causes this craziness to continue.  Is it the stores and their focus on making as much money as possible? Perhaps it’s the consumers who want to save as much money as possible while getting the best deal.  Or is it the fast paced society we live in? We look ahead and prepare for the next thing without ever enjoying what’s in front of us.  Maybe it’s a combination.  I don’t have the answer.  Does anyone? Let me know what you think!