My husband came out to our dining room tonight and had some newspaper ads and a notepad and wanted to sit down and map out our strategy for Black Friday. Generally, we are first in line and make a dash all day to get the hottest deals all over town. On Saturday, I will then continue the tradition online and by Sunday I will have bought most of our holiday gifts and other things.
Not this year.
I told him that I have decided to hold my own little protest. How many years have we fell victim to this capitalistic mind frame that the day after Thanksgiving (or apparently now they are trying to hypnotize us into thinking Thanksgiving Day is even not sacred anymore) and the whole weekend after, we are supposed to blow every dollar we have in order to have a great holiday. I'm not participating in it this year.
How many people have to sacrifice the entire holiday weekend in order to feed our greed? They can't leave town to visit anyone. They might not even get off for Thursday to visit anyone a mile away. They don't get to relax and enjoy the new fall weather or reflect on what they are thankful for. So I will do my part and stay at home. I won't shop on Black Friday, I won't shop online, I won't buy groceries.....I will stay at home and hope one day that those who sit behind the registers or stock the shelves or wait the tables or mop the floors, will one day also get to stay at home on Thanksgiving and/or spend it in the loving arms of a family member.
Hopefully one day soon Thanksgiving will be a day once more that every shop in town will have a lit up "Closed" sign.
**and for those who must work (firemen, police, nurses and doctors, emergency crews) Thank you!*