I’ve never done Black Friday. And I don’t plan to start doing it any time soon.
Oh, I’ve heard people talk about how its a rush to do. An event in its self. Some people can’t imagine the holidays without it. However, I am not one of those people. Nor am I a Christmas Eve shopper. Nope. Not going to do that either.
First of all, I strive to keep shopping and holidays separate as possible. I don’t want to spend Thanksgiving preparing for shopping. And I don’t want to lose the magic of Christmas Eve to retail either. I want to focus on the days and what they mean in my heart.
Second, I like to do my shopping at my leisure and with careful thought. I like to keep it as stress-free as possible, and, personally, the thought of waiting in line and rushing a store “for the thrill and the bargains” just doesn’t fit my stress-free goal. Plus, friends and family who work in retail, who have to work on Black Friday, all dread that night into day madness. I feel for them. I really do. I don’t want to add to their stress either.
So, while everyone is out shopping for bargains and deals, I’m going to go about life outside of that. I’ll get my shopping done between now and December 25th. I actually have a little of it done and on its way to me already. All great deals. I’ll do my bargain hunting at my own pace.
Good luck to all Black Friday shoppers! More power to you for daring those crowds. I admire your adventurous spirit. But, its just not for me…
Maybe its the fact that Christmas was being slammed down our throats before Halloween.
Maybe its the fact that it was mid-70s yesterday. (A fact that isn’t weird in Texas, but I guess I’ve become accustomed to Tennessee fall chills.)
Maybe its the fact that I just can’t afford it.
Whatever the reason, I just can’t get in the holiday mindset. Not yet.
Perhaps after Thanksgiving, when I dig out my Christmas decorations, my mood will change. Perhaps it will take the Christmas parade to change my mood. Or a trip to Opryland Hotel. Or maybe a Christmas party or two.
My husband signed up tonight at his lodge to take a Christmas basket to a Mason’s widow. Last year, our delightful widow was our Christmas angel. Maybe she’ll set me straight again.
Whatever it takes, I welcome. I love the holidays! I want to be in the holiday spirit! I really do! But instead, I tune out news reports about Black Friday. I tune out reports about holiday travel. I look away from holiday lights already being putting up around town. (Except the lights of Opryland Hotel. That’s different.)
I feel like the Grinch.
I don’t want to feel like the Grinch. Please… someone send me the Holiday spirit! Just don’t send it C.O.D. please. Because I’ll have to decline it and send it back. Which would just make me even Grinch-ier.
And trust me… none of us want that.
My parents took me tonight to pick out my birthday present — new clothes! YAY! However, while shopping, it was impossible to ignore all the Christmas music coming through the speakers. It was off-putting to say the least. A friend of mine that works in retail reported last night that in her store, every other song is now Christmas music. By the time December 25th arrives, I fear she might find a way to short-out the sound system in her store.
I can’t say I blame her.
See, I like Thanksgiving. A lot. But with everyone (read: retail) in such a hurry to get to Christmas, it feels like the holiday gets lost. Halloween is huge, then Christmas is huge, but Thanksgiving… well, it’s practically ignored. It’s such an important holiday — it’s a time to take a moment and count your blessings — yet instead, the focus is on buying stuff. Buy, buy, buy! Spend! Spend! spend! Yes, its all about giving gifts to our loved ones, which is not a BAD thing, but I don’t think burying the importance of Thanksgiving is good either.
It wasn’t even Halloween yet, and Target already had half their seasonal section selling Christmas decorations. I wasn’t happy about that, but it was also all to the back of the store and it wasn’t the focus. Tonight, every store we went into had Christmas decorations up, and Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas.”
The sad thing is that I found myself singing along! I felt I should be shot myself for being dragged into that. Grrrr… Evil retail mind washing. I love Christmas music, but not in early November. Let me enjoy Fall and Thanksgiving, please, first.
Thank you.
