The post office was busier than usual because it was the holiday season. There were huge mounds of things, rivers of mail, and lengthy lines of people waiting for their gifts to get there on time. Harold, the postmaster, was a nice guy, but he was tired and trying everything he could to keep things going. He needed aid right away. Someone told Harold that Gerber was looking for work, and he thought about it for a while. He had heard the rumors that “Gerber isn’t the smartest,” as some people had remarked. People said he was slow, easily confused, and did best at jobs that weren’t very stressful. Harold thought that everyone should have a fair chance, especially around Christmas time.
Gerber got there early, looked great, and was ready to start his first day. Harold taught him how to sort mail, like where to put letters from the same area, how to handle parcels, and which slots to utilize for mail that is going out. He thought he would have to check in all the time and fix things, but he saw something he didn’t expect in the first hour.
Gerber’s hands moved quite quickly. Envelopes went into the right containers without anyone even thinking about it. He divided items into piles by zip code at an amazing pace. He had done more by midday than most clerks do in a whole day. The staff was shocked. Was this the same Gerber that a lot of people were worried about?
Harold came up to him with a smile on his face at the end of the day. He said to Gerber, “I just want you to know how proud I am of you.” You’re one of the fastest workers we’ve ever had.
“Thank you, sir,” Gerber said with a smile. Tomorrow I’ll do even better.
Harold blinked. “Better? What could you do to make this better?
Gerber shrugged and added, “I’ll really look at the addresses tomorrow.”
A mother of three was having a good time on vacation not too far away. For days, her kids had been bugging her to decorate the house. They said, “People have lights.” “Christmas wouldn’t be the same without them!” She ultimately gave up and went to the hardware store to buy new lights. She didn’t want anything spectacular; she just wanted something that worked.
She walked up to a young worker who was happy at the company. “Excuse me,” she continued, “could you please show me your best Christmas lights?”
The worker smiled and led her to a tall, colorful display. He pointed to a box with pictures of the holidays on it and remarked, “These are the most popular things we’ve sold this year.” People like them.
“They look nice,” the woman responded, “but I need to know that they work before I buy them.” Can you link them so I can see how they work?
“Of course,” the young man said. He carefully untangled the lights and plugged them into the outlet next to the box. All of the bulbs lit up right away in bright reds, greens, and blues. The woman clapped. “Great! They are really gorgeous!
The worker grinned and was happy with the way she answered. Then she put the lights back in the box. After that, the man at the register scanned the box.
The woman, on the other hand, frowned. She said in a loud voice, “What are you doing?”
He said softly, “I’ll just call them for you.”
She put her arms across her chest. “I don’t want that box.” I want one that hasn’t been opened yet.
The young man merely gazed for a minute. “But you told me to plug it in and open it…”
“Yes,” she responded, “to see if it works.” But it has been utilized now.
Dan and Bob sat outside a café on the other side of town, warming their hands around paper cups of coffee while they watched people walk by with shopping bags.
“So, what did you get for the holidays?” As he drank from his cup, Dan asked.
Bob smiled at him with a naughty look on his face. “Do you see that red Ferrari parked across the street?”
Dan’s eyes got bigger. “Wow! Do you get it?
Bob laughed. “Not at all.” But I did acquire a tie that was the same color.
Dan laughed and rolled his eyes. “You almost got me for a second.”
Later that week, a husband and wife sat on their couch in the living room and looked at old pictures while they talked about the past. The husband bent down and said, “We’ll have been married for ten years soon,” in a loving voice. For our anniversary, I’ve been thinking of getting you a nice new car.
The wife’s eyes were shining. “Sweetheart,” she whispered, taking his hand. “That would make me very happy.”
It was their anniversary. She was excited as she waited, checking the time, the driveway, and even getting dressed up in case he surprised her with a dinner date. But the day came and went, and there was no car. But there was no present at all.
Her husband thought that the idea of a present was just as good as the item itself.
These funny, ironic, and Christmas-themed anecdotes remind us that Christmas doesn’t always go as planned. People might surprise you in positive or hilarious ways. The holidays always manage to make memories, even if things don’t go precisely as planned. Think about things like a guy sorting mail without reading it, a consumer refusing to test a shipment, a tie that looks like a Ferrari, or a gift that comes out of nowhere.