It's good to get out of myself

Things at work annoyed me today. We really aren't busy, it's my last workday of 2019, and so everything should be going smoothly. Yet it wasn't.

Hamid is getting on my nerves. He's very enthusiastic about getting stuff done, but he pays no attention whatsoever to process. He knows he's cutting corners, because I've told him. He also knows I like him, so he thinks that if he makes funny faces and charms me, I won't mind. He's wrong. I mind a lot. I'm worried that mistakes are going to get into print because Hamid is going rogue.

I had to get out of the office at lunchtime. I just had to have some alone time. I felt my Christmas spirit dissipating.

So I went "home," to the buffet in the building where we had offices until 2018. I spent many Christmases in that building, and I thought seeing the familiar decorations would cheer me up.

Instead I was jolted.

On December 13, with just 7 days to go, the building toy drive is at just 2% of goal. Every year, the tenants of this 83-story skyscraper contribute toys to brighten Christmas for abused, abandoned kids in a Catholic home. But this year, no one is giving.

I have 2 -- maybe 3 -- holiday get-togethers this coming week. I'm going to Key West the following week. My holiday shopping is done. I was hoping to be conservative with my money. But this was unacceptable. There has to be a way to help without busting my budget.

I remembered the Extra Bucks coupon I tucked in my wallet. Worth $3 at CVS. That's a start toward a toy, isn't it?  I got a set of "fashion dolls" -- generic Barbies -- that included two dolls and four outfits. With the coupon, it came to $7 and change, which I had on hand. It made me happy to drop the set of dolls into the unfortunately empty toy box.

Yes, I'm mad at Hamid for being manipulative. Yes, I'm mad at my boss for not taking the situation seriously.

But work problems happen every day, every week, every month of the year. This is Christmas. Christmas matters. Christmas means something.

An abused or abandoned little girl is going to get a pair of dolls from Santa. Just as Emily, the 4-year-old here in my neighborhood, is getting a sweater, a Frozen II Golden Book and an Anna/Elsa notebook. Two girls are going to get a dose of Christmas magic, in spite of their circumstances.

I did those things.

It's good to get out of myself and into others.

If you're looking for a way to help kids this Christmas, why not look to Toys for Tots?