what a normal day. sleep through one or two alarms... then become half-conscious at the third, force your eyes open, stare at the line of lights that the blinds make on the wall. a dull whimper escapes your lips as you try to remember what amazing dream you had. none? figures. you begin to drift off... 

HEY! a jolt! a bolt! has sprinted through your spine... to your head! an important realisation... today's the day before christmas eve! you were playing around all month. you have zero gifts. 

you peel your face off of the desk on which you slept, picking out the embedded crumbs from your pores like some dumb ogre. they are hard and stale, and your face hurts, but you are determined to head out and make your family happy. you look into your tv screen, and see the usual disgusting distorted face, but this time with sparkling eyes. the holiday spirit of gift-giving has never surged through you as much as this year... you are overflowing with the power of some holy beast, set on making others smile. 

so you stretch your sore back, your kinked neck, and your cramped legs. let's get ready to go outside! warm shower? check. clean clothes? check. list of things to get? check. food? nahhh, later.

you sprint to the driveway, land onto the faux leather seat, and turn the key. the machine shakes, sending some fresh dew beads rolling down its body... the sweet scent of a new air filter... the sweet purposeful rumbling of the engine... you masterfully guide the beast on its happy little path, towards a secluded shopping area that you're sure doesn't have too many people around, so that you may search for your prey in peace. 

actually, there are many competitors here: an entire army of sharks circling the aisles. "if they stop, they die," said your father regarding sharks about 10 years ago. now, you think, they are determined to survive. they have people waiting for them, obligations based on tradition, that they have all been holding out until the last minute on. what fools... you are the truly determined only one here who can fight through the crowd and rise to be the victor of the holidays!!! 

said you, the one who is currently waiting in a long checkout line. there is nothing of interest to look at. you are bored. there are no interesting conversations forwards or hinden of you. you are bored. your dogs want to bark but cannot. deafening silence rises as the checkout clerks slowly check out the items. beep. beep. beep. one step forwards... slowly and painfully, your pure determination begins to fade, eventually being overtaken by the impatiently obligated determination like the rest.