There are some traditions you just go along with, and others you stop and think about and suddenly don’t quite make sense. This latest one of mine is seasonally appropriate, Black Friday.
This year is the first time in several years I haven’t been Black Friday shopping. I used to look forward to it, staying up really late and being out in stores I’ve never been in in the dark. Black Friday in the past was usually a midnight trip to Wal-Mart with my grandparents, then the mall and other places the next morning to scrape the bottom of the Black Friday barrel. We usually scored a couple things; we went in there knowing we wouldn’t get the best deals and mostly did it to spend time together. There was one year my mom and I went to Old Navy and stood in the checkout line for an hour to buy nice coats. I liked spending the time with her, but after a bit I realized I preferred shopping during the day, when I was fully awake and in the mood, not half asleep and still feeling full from dinner.
On Thanksgiving, this year on the way to visit my great grandma, we went down a main street full of restaurants and stores. My dad started pointing out all the restaurants that were closed. I thought that was pretty neat, seeing a usually busy street so empty. Then we went past Best Buy and at 3:30 on a rainy afternoon there was a decent line lined up outside the store, all huddled and under umbrellas. I was betting the store wouldn’t be open for several hours.
Now, I don’t know their stories. Maybe they already ate their Thanksgiving feast, and they were there with family. This could be a tradition, or perhaps it was a challenge trying to get something for as little as possible. Maybe they don’t even celebrate Thanksgiving. I don’t know, and at this point, writing 24 hours later, I don’t care. I guess seeing that just really made me think: I couldn’t see myself doing that. Waiting out in the rain for…whatever. I can understand some things could be worth waiting for, like meet-n-greets or tickets for something. But some piece of technology? Not worth it. Not even close.
I’m not trying to get all up in arms about the commercialization of Christmas. I just sometimes get confused about how much a holiday supposedly about family and friendship and overall joy can turn people into crazy, selfish animals of sorts who are hunting for the best deals and will literally kill to get what they want. Yay, it’s Black Friday, the first day of Christmas shopping (though you can totally start earlier), because your kids won’t love you if you don’t get them that toy and who cares if the store employees haven’t slept for 24 hours!
Okay, maybe I am. But one person isn’t going to change whatever problem has swept over our country. All I know is that this year I’m looking at the whole thing with a touch of cynicism. I have no problem with Christmas, or giving gifts, or having a holiday that’s supposed to be spent with family. I have a problem with the way we as a country deal with said holiday, and a lot of it boils down to Black Friday, chopping off part of one holiday to be uber-prepared for another. And I’m guessing I’m not alone here.
