Today is Black Friday. The stores are ready for the masses of shoppers who will help their businesses turn a profit. I suppose I’ll be one of them, but I didn’t get up early to stand in line anywhere, and I’m not going to fend off hundreds of other desperate shoppers in order to get a great deal. If I shop at all, it will be in the store where I work, which will be quiet after the 6 am rush, or online.
I’m reading news stories about people so anxious to score the great deals that they actually camp out in front of the stores the day and night before. I saw a news clip featuring a man eating his Thanksgiving dinner on a foil plate, wrapped in his winter coat, huddled in his tent. The last time I camped out in line I was in college, wanting to get a parking sticker for the lot in front of my dorm. My time has gotten a lot more valuable since then.
So, does that mean my loved ones won’t get the best gifts this Christmas? Perhaps. But I look at it this way. By getting a normal night’s sleep, I am more likely to be my cheerful self when Christmas gets here. By not going to the mall, I’m saving on gasoline, which is better for the environment and my financial well-being. By avoiding the crowds, I’m saving the poor sales clerks from having to help me.
I figure I'm doing my part to make this a Merry Christmas for everyone. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
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