Thanksgiving: a day that you spend giving thanks, eating pie and succumbing to the l-tryptophan in your turkey as it rapidly puts you to sleep, all while being surrounded by the people you love — who might trample you in a few hours trying to get the latest technology. Yes, it’s doomsd — I mean Black Friday — and you should loathe every second of it.
Sawgrass Mills Mall is not even waiting this year for it to officially be Black Friday. In an effort to boost revenue, under the ruse of “catering to consumers’ needs,” the mall will open its floodgates at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, instead of the usual midnight on Friday. The mall will stay open for a revolting 24 hour period until it finally closes its doors on 10 p.m. that Friday. Hear that? That’s the sound of all of the employees’ hearts at Sawgrass breaking simultaneously.
Macy’s, however, takes the cake by opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day; better take your pumpkin pie to-go.
Of course, one could argue that employees should be happy because they can work in shifts and may even get holiday pay. Who cares that they would have to leave their families even earlier to prepare for shoppers? Who cares about employees being tired in the wee hours of the morning? Who cares about those workers who have to clean up after this atomic bomb has been set off, leaving a disastrous wasteland in its wake? Who cares once you completed your mission and go home with your trophies in tow, right?
Unfortunately, retail employees don’t have the choice to remain tucked in at home. They are coerced into showing up to work at absurd times; sacrificing precious moments with family to ensure belligerent customers fulfill all of their selfish desires.
Retail employees are people just like you and I. They put in a full day’s work the same way we do and should be allowed to enjoy a break. Imagine how you would feel if you were in their shoes. Think about that the next time you mutter about an overworked employee or wreck a display in haste. Then ask yourself, is it really all worth it?
It is absolutely ludicrous, not to mention disgusting, that after filling tummies with food and giving thanks for what one does have, one sets out to buy these material wants. Instead of resisting, people gladly line up regardless of weather conditions, insisting that the sales are really just too sweet to miss.
The sales advertised are not all they are cracked up to be. Time with family is much more valuable than any tangible good you could acquire on Black Friday. Eventually, the sweaters won’t fit the same way anymore and the technology that you fought for will just be replaced by a newer version next month.
Although it may be cliché, time spent with family is really what matters. There is nothing like sitting around the table, surrounded by the people that you adore (no matter what you say the rest of the year), while enjoying a fantastic homecooked meal seasoned with the ingredient you only get from the best cooks: love. These memories will truly stay with you longer than any material good will. There are countless times when family jokes and memories will help you get through the day or simply put a smile on your face when you need one.
There is no need for people to go shopping and return injured, if they even return at all, because someone’s greed got the better of them. Black Friday is not the be all and end all of a shopper’s holiday experience and should not be treated as such. Do remember this if you are brave enough to venture out into the chaos of this holiday. As for the rest of us, we’ll let the good times roll and relish in the safety of our homes.
