My Anti-Thanksgiving Lineup: Don’t tell me to keep calm!
I’m not trying to be ungrateful here, or tarnish the Thanksgiving celebration. But you know me; I don’t exactly think like everyone else. Oh sure, I’ve been counting my blessings this week, as I try to always do, but I’ve also been keeping a mental list of some things that have been sticking in my craw. Things that I am, well, not thankful for. So instead of telling you how thankful I am for my family (which I am!), my friends (yay, friends!) and our health (which could definitely be worse!), I’m going to tell you some things that, frankly, I could do without. Things that I am soooo over. Shall we begin with my first installment?
“Keep Calm” Posters (and T-shirts and mugs and phone covers and onesies and tote bags and on and on…)
Wow. I’m pretty sure these have been done and redone and re-redone about as many times as is mathematically possible. It started out with “Keep Calm and Carry On,” which is probably a good motto to have. But from there, things just went a little crazy. I can’t browse Etsy without being bombarded with various combinations and mutations of this “Keep Calm” theme. There’s “Keep Calm and Drink Coffee.” HiLARious. Or “Keep Calm and Teach On.” (Husband’s getting that one on a T-shirt for Christmas!) Then there are those that are actually making fun of the “Keep Calm” movement, which I can sort of appreciate, but in all honesty they’re just perpetuating the “Keep Calm” pollution if you ask me. But just to be fair, being Thanksgiving week and all, I’ll share a few that would be my favorites, if the whole business didn’t annoy the heck out of me.
Some shops are completely grasping at straws for an original “Keep Calm” poster or T-shirt to sell. Really, if you can’t think of anything original without resorting to one of these, maybe it’s a sign that the trend has run its course.
While we’re on the subject, can I place my vote for most annoying “in” phrase? Howabout “SIMPLIFY.” Ack! If you have some little frilly throw pillow and a cheesy plaque on the wall (probably hanging with about 30 other plaques) and some ugly coffee mug on the windowsill that each say “Simplify,” then are you simplifying? I. Don’t. Think. So. Howabout NOT having all the stuff that says “Simplify” on it, and then your home WILL look simpler? That “Simplify” crap seems to be an oxymoron to me. Whew. Thanks for letting me get that one off my chest. We must be related.
Hey Paula!
Thank you for the post! I hope you have had a great thanksgiving.. and also you were open to express it openly, no body told you to stay quite!
Paula (Mrs. Reece),
Thanks for the great laughs today!! Hope you are doing well!
Kari (Christianson) Smith