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Wednesday, August 19, 2015

November 28, 2014


Black Friday. What an ominous sounding term! I say, couldn’t we come up with something a bit more positive, this the day after pointed emphasis on thankfulness?
Now I have to admit I’ve never braved camping out in front of a darkened storefront, or waited hours for doors to open, to then push and shove my way through with a zillion other bodies, clawing and grunting past any who might impede progress, hurling epithets in passing. And this, in the pursuit of bargains for—and think about this—gifts! It’s the start of the Christmas season after all, forget about turkey and being thankful for family and friends, now it’s time to join the masses in the pursuit of gifts! Gifts for loved ones, family and friends, oh and maybe an obligatory one or two for bosses or co-workers as well, but nonetheless… gifts, tokens of our affection and appreciation. Hmm. A little irony here?
The latest travesty on our collective morality is cutting short the family day of Thanksgiving so we can hit the mall even earlier, to fight the crowds, drive like maniacs, and shoot one another over parking places. But hey! Gotta score those deals!
Frightening to think that we are that shallow as a society we can’t see through this marketing sham—the real motives behind it all. Black Friday is the day the bargain-happy masses turn the merchant’s bottom-line to black instead of in-the-red. Period. There’s not an ounce of benevolence involved, at any level. Good for the economy—perhaps. Helps businesses thrive—probably. It’s the ploys and deceit involved that are troubling.
Thanksgiving is already being pushed into the background—case-in-point: try to find Thanksgiving decorations for your home before Thanksgiving. Pitiful offerings bunched in with the Halloween merchandise back in September, on a small corner of one aisle, in among witches and goblin masks, but soon as Halloween is over, we’re on to the next big thing—Christmas.We all know Christ was taken out of Christmas in the marketing world long ago. In fact, maybe they should rename the season Giftmas—it would at least suggest more honesty. Its been noted that Christmas Eve is one of the most profitable for merchants of all kinds—maybe they’ll start calling that Black Eve instead, who knows.
Shootings, road-rage, stampedes resulting in injuries and death—all things we’ve seen in the news on Black Fridays of the past. And that’s only the ones that made the news! And we claim to be a civilized society? Hmm.
No thank you. I’m most grateful to be here in my comfy chair, in my cozy robe, a hot cuppa nearby, nursing sweet thoughts of yesterday—a day of true thanksgiving with my family and friends. When the last one left, we tidied up, had a light snack and snuggled down in our beds for a good night’s sleep. No tents and sleeping bags out on some cold sidewalk. No trying to get some sleep among a teeming hostile crowd. No maneuvering the crowds to procure the latest electronics. No waiting in long lines to add my dollars to the black line. Nope. Not me. Not never.
Today, as I tuck away platters and goblets, carry seldom-used chairs to the cellar, and nibble on yummy leftovers, I will bring out my bins of winter greenery, berries and, of course, my snowman collection. It’s time to deck out Hare Hollow for the long winter ahead.
As for Christmas gifts, what I wrap up for my loved ones and friends will be gifts of the heart. Home-mades or otherwise, I can assure you I will not brave any crowd anywhere to procure them.
Christ, in this house, is part of every day, not just on Christmas, but we are very conscious of keeping Him in heart on that day as well.
You know—back to Black Friday—I’ve always wondered what they all do with their tents when the store-doors open!
The kettle’s whistling. Time to warm up my cuppa. [happy sigh of contentment]

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