Black Friday Early?

Yesterday, I started getting emails about Black Friday specials. But the last I checked, yesterday was Monday, not Friday. Or even Thursday. Although with all the dark clouds and rain yesterday, it was pretty black outside at times. So I can see how they were confused.

I now feel the need to confess to you, and I know you will find this shocking. But here goes: I almost never go out shopping on Black Friday. There - getting that off my chest feels much better.

We have gone out on Black Friday a time or two, but it has always been late in the afternoon or early in the evening. Long after the ravenous bargain hunters have already done their thing. And usually, we were going shopping because of necessity, to get something that we needed to make it through the rest of the weekend. Not really bargain hunting. Just necessity hunting. Which was why the real hunters in the old days hunted. But anyway.

When 3:00 AM on Black Friday rolls around, I am where I am just about any other day at 3:00 AM, which is sleeping soundly in my bed. Not even dreaming about getting up at a ridiculously early time to go out and save some money on something that I don’t really need anyway. Because let’s face it - if you look at what people buy at those Black Friday sales, it is really just something for themselves anyway. You don’t usually hear anyone say, “I just got a huge TV for only $400, and I am giving it to my Aunt Gladys for Christmas!” And the sale ads don’t say, “Perfect Gift for Uncle Harry!” No, they are the perfect things for YOU! I don’t buy it.

But these days, you don’t even have to wait until 3:00 AM. Some stores open at midnight. Some stores open at 10:00 PM on Thanksgiving night. Some stores are even open all day on Thanksgiving Day.

None of that matters to me, however. I plan to spend my Thanksgiving Day visiting with my extended family. Eating some turkey and dressing. But mostly dressing. And spending the rest of the time at home with my immediate family. Watching football. Watching a movie. Or doing something else that doesn’t require us to leave home. And hopefully Friday and Saturday will be much the same way. With some Christmas decorating thrown in, just for good measure.

Remember when Thanksgiving was a day to be thankful for what you have, instead of planning how to get to all the sales the next day to get what you don’t have?

Thankfully, some of us still do.

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