Black Friday Shopping

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            On your marks, get set, get ready to go! Black Friday is just around the corner. I’ve never been one for Black Friday shopping. In fact, I’ve never gone. I don’t see the point in waiting in gigantically long lines hours before the stores doors open in hopes of being one of the first inside. I don’t see the point to rushing and elbowing your way to a store end cap that has five sale items, first come first served. I don’t see the point in combing through all the picked through items in hopes of finding something that somewhat resembles an item on your shopping list. These negative aspects of Black Friday are further magnified by death and injury in recent years at the hands of corporate and consumer greed. There are also the unfortunate retail workers who are aren’t able to spend Thanksgiving with their families or have to leave early so they can make it in to work for the midnight rush and deal with all of the indulgent excess on top of the rude customers who are always right.

Yes, it is possible to find a great deal on Black Friday or to be one of the lucky people to find a door buster deal, but don’t get your hopes up. The numbers are not on your side. I’m not sure of the odds, but I would guess that for each door buster deal in each store the odds are 100 to 1 or something like that. Black Friday is more about the experience. For some people, Black Friday shopping is a tradition that brings together family and friends for quality time and bonding. Others are shopping crusaders to whom the actual item purchased matters less than the deal they won. There is also a percentage of people who do not wake up early or stay up late. They make it to the store when they can and pick up stocking stuffer deals and take advantage of the sales that are left over. Whatever your reason, have fun and stay safe!