Last week I noticed something deeply disturbing. As long as I’ve been living, Thanksgiving was a day to relax with family, friends, football, while enjoying great food. It is the day when we express our gratitude and show appreciation. What’s disturbing is how greed & excess invaded and took over the ethos of Thanksgiving.
It is sad, but 2012 will be remembered as the year, where last semblance of a boundary between the actual day of Thanksgiving and the formal commencement of the holiday shopping season finally collapsed. It wasn’t just the decision by some of the biggest retailers to move their opening hours earlier than ever before. For many customers, the exact time when the doors were unlocked was irrelevant, because Thanksgiving had already become completely subsumed in shopping mania. What difference does it make if the doors open at 8 p.m. or midnight, if you were already in line days earlier. Something is wrong with this picture.
Consider the example of the Kelley family in Fort Myers, Fla., so determined to sacrifice nothing of their quality of life while in quest for the perfect deal that they showed up in front of the local Best Buy’s doors on Monday, equipped with a dinner table. It’s disturbing seeing so many people waiting this week to get into stores that were already open. Again, something is wrong with this picture.
In closing, Black Friday’s prices aren’t invariably the lowest available, the whole thing is just one magnificent con job. It’s unfortunate how people have been conditioned like Pavlov’s dogs to perfume and slobber on cue. Given the present data that over 70% of households have little or no savings and carry a revolving credit debt of some kind I would say that the only ones getting a ‘deal’ are the retailers and their credit card companies.
What do you think? Please share!
You are right Pastor, i’m still trying to figure out why and where sweetest day came from.
Sweetest Day was originally created for orphans and elderly people. I guess they are the ones usually overlooked. You were supposed to celebrate them on that day and give them candy. It is a hallmark holiday.
Thanks again Erica & that’s what I’m gonna tell 1st Lady when Sweetest Day rolls around. I’m gonna say, “Erica said…” LOL!
Hey Willie!
Thanks for sharing & you’re too funny! I was wondering the same thing. I don’t even question it – I just celebrate it. If it makes 1st Lady’s happy – I’m happy.
I totally agree, but I honestly Can say Ive never been black Friday shopping and never had the desire to. I teach my son the true value of needs and wants. Im proud to say he’s not caught up in all that craziness and understands he doesn’t have to have everything they show on television, catalogues and sale papers.
Hey Ella…You’re a wise woman and many can learn from your example. Keep teaching your son values that last.
Pastor I agree. In the words of Malcolm X: “We have been hoodwinked, bamboozled,and led astray.!” Last year was the first time I saw someone sacrificing Thanksgiving all for the sake of ‘Black Friday.” I saw a family literally camped outside of Best Buy the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. They had a tent and they would be the first in line. I was thinking wow! Is it really that serious? It was windy and cold too! i did go shopping on Friday, but I didn’t leave till around 10am. i bought one big ticket item and pair of pants. LOL However, one year I believed the hype and was out of the house by 3am! I bought everything I had on my list, but as the months went by I realized I didn’t save much.
Hey Erica…that’s crazy a family would sacrifice thanksgiving for stuff. What’s even crazier is that the store was open while they were camping out. LOL! There’s nothing wrong with shopping, we all do it. Just don’t allow it to kill the spirit of thanksgiving.
Thanks for sharing!