Turkey Thursday and Black Friday
…A quick glance at my calendar confirms that this is my last column before Thanksgiving arrives. I want to take a moment to wish everyone a safe and happy Turkey Day, which is my second favorite holiday of the year (after Halloween, of course) because of the three cherished F’s: Family, Football and Feast.
I always look forward to Thanksgiving, even if it is supposed to be a nice and relaxing time but it almost always ends up being a chaotic holiday. I always joke that I love the many Thanksgiving “traditions” that seem to impact the holiday. See if you can identify with any of the following:
n A relative always comments on the fact that I’ve put on a few pounds since they last saw me;
n At least one child blurts out something wildly inappropriate at the dinner table, prompting sudden bursts of shocked laughter;
n Someone at the table accidentally spills food or beverage at the table or on the floor, causing a momentary state of panic;
n An argument briefly breaks out between family members over politics, current events or sports teams;
n One of the kids is playing with a bat or club and some unlucky guy accidentally gets hit in the privates;
n And my favorite tradition of all, when the day comes to an end everyone agrees that it was another wonderful holiday and we can’t wait to get together again for Christmas.
Truthfully, I greatly anticipate Thanksgiving because it always reminds me that I have a lot to be thankful for. I am fortunate for the many blessings in my life, my health, my wife, my family, my friends. In particular, I am especially grateful for my parents for teaching me valuable life lessons while I was growing up that helped me become the person I am today, and I am extremely thankful for the love and kindness that my wife has given me over the years, especially when I feel I have not given enough in return.
I sincerely encourage all of our readers to also take the holiday season to be thankful for the blessings in their lives.
Happy Thanksgiving…
...I also enjoy Turkey Day because another of my favorite days of the whole year comes around right after Thanksgiving is over, and this day is bigger and more exciting than all of the holidays combined. Yes, I’m talking about Black Friday.
For those of you who don’t know about this phenomenon, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving where consumers get up at the crack of dawn and – armed with shopping carts, flyers and caffeine-fueled adrenaline – forget all about the holiday sprit and find themselves in a consumer-crazed frenzy.
(According to www.about.com, the origin of Black Friday comes from the shift to profitability during the holiday season. Black Friday was when retailers went from being unprofitable, or “in the red,” to being profitable, or “in the black,” at a time when accounting records were kept by hand and red indicated loss and black profit.)
I confess that I am a Black Friday shop-aholic. Each year, my wife and I brave the cold weather and the crazy crowds to do our Christmas shopping, all for the single goal of taking advantage of some truly big savings.
Unfortunately, we’ve also seen our share of Black Friday incidents over the years that would give young children nightmares: Fistfights in parking lots, people stealing sale items out of other shoppers’ carts…one time, we watched in horror as a determined shopper struck and injured an elderly woman with her cart, and never bothered to stop or apologize. It’s always amazing to see this dark side of humanity. (Go out just one time to experience this phenomenon, and I guarantee you’ll understand the REAL reason why they call it “Black Friday.” But don’t say you weren’t warned.)
Honestly, it never ceases to shock me when I see some of the shenanigans and antics of those seemingly normal people who turn into bloodthirsty savages in search of a sale, just hours after celebrating a Day of Thanks.
And you know what? I must be a savage too, because I find the whole affair to be rather exciting, especially when I am victorious in my quest to snag the hottest holiday items for sale. By my count, I haven’t had a Black Friday yet that I didn’t get what I set out to buy. And now that I know what I’m going after this year, I intend to keep my undefeated streak alive.
(Let it be said, however, that being a seasoned, grizzled and victorious Black Friday shopper is not easy. It takes years of practice, developing cunning and skills, the ability to withstand long hours in horrible weather, and a spouse with the patience of a saint. Here’s a disclaimer to all the novices out there who think they can just plunge into Black Friday without preparation: Kids, do not try this at home.)
So if you are one of the brave ones who are daring enough to venture out early morning on Black Friday next week for a little shopping, I wish you the best of luck and I hope you make it home in one piece…just as long as you’re not in the same line as me as I attempt to get my ultimate Christmas gift…
…One last quick note: I want to commend those who attended any Veterans Day services and/or parades, and I want to give two big “Thumbs Up” to the many veterans, civilians, businesses, organizations and schools who organized and/or participated in any services or events held to honor those who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. military. You should be proud of yourselves. Many veterans who attended the services told me on several different occasions that they were very appreciative of the respect that they were shown.
(For example, kudos to the faculty and students at Waynesburg Central Elementary School, who did such a nice job of honoring the veterans with a special program. The most touching part of the service was at the conclusion; as the veterans exited the school, hundreds of students lined up along the outside sidewalks and applauded the veterans, waving American flags and telling them “Thank you.” The emotional reactions of the veterans will be something that I will remember for a long, long time.)
As for those who were physically able to attend any of the Veterans Day services but instead chose to sleep in, stay home, play golf, or wash their car, we simply have three words for you: “Shame on you”…