Dec. 15: Where did everybody go?
I was in a Costco yesterday and I was talking to one of the sales
clerks about Black Friday. I asked him if he worked that day and he
replied that he did. I asked if it was busy and he said that it was. "We
were selling big screen televisions for a thousand dollars off," he
said.
Where did everybody go? Well, if it's Black Friday, they probably went to Wal-Mart. Or Costco. Or Best Buy.
-
I flat out refuse to go to a Black Friday event. RE-FUSE. I don't care if they're having a mega sale on Dr. Pepper. I don't care if they're selling a CD collection featuring every song Prince has ever recorded. I don't care if Amanda Marshall is there giving away free hugs. I will not go to a Black Friday event.
Hi Shteevie. Thanks for coming to Black Friday. Would you like a hug or would you rather just stare at my navel?
-
I won't go to a Black Friday event because I don't like seeing people at their basest. The seven deadly sins may not be listed in the Bible, but they're a pretty good indicator of behaviors I'd like to avoid. If I don't want to see people possessed by lust, I'll stay away from strip clubs and singles bars. If I don't want to see people possessed by wrath, I'll stay away from riots. If I don't want to see people possessed by greed, I'll stay away from Black Friday.
Good grief. People are actually getting trampled by their fellow homo sapiens, all because everyone wants to save a few bucks on an iPad. I saw a news report once where some dude was talking about how sad he was that he wasn't able to get an XBox or whatever the hell he wanted at the Big Box Electronic Store Black Friday event. "My kids sure are going to be mad at me on Christmas," this dude said.
WAIT A MINUTE! STOP RIGHT THERE!
Hey douchebag, what kind of kids are you raising? Your kids aren't entitled to a new XBox on Christmas Day, their birthday, or any day. A new XBox is a privilege, IT IS NOT A RIGHT! If your shitty kids had any class at all, they'd say: "You know what, dad? You work hard to put a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, clothes on our bodies. You pay to keep the house warm and sanitized. So please, don't beat yourself up because you weren't able to snag an XBox at Best Buy. The world is full of kids who won't get XBoxes for Christmas and most of them won't even get Christmas at all."
-
The reason I was at that Costco was to buy some clothes I could wear to my grandfather's funeral. (The airline lost the bag that had my clothes.) Everybody went to the funeral (and by everyone, I mean almost each one of my grandfather's descendants.)
His family sat in the living room of his condo and we shared stories of grandad and I wasn't able to say anything because I'm only able to be vulnerable with complete strangers. But I listened to other people's stories. My mom and her sisters delivered some touching eulogies at the funeral and we left the church believing in the inherent goodness of our grandad.
My grandfather was good with money. He was thrifty. He gave his kids one very good piece of financial advice. He said that if you decide to buy something, you should ask yourself three times if you really need it. If you say no even once, don't buy it.
The people who go to Black Friday events probably never ask themselves that question. I don't need a bigscreen TV or an iPad or any electronic dohickeys. I have some. I live in a tiny apartment and I live beneath my means and I know that the people on Park Avenue might scoff at the decrepit building that I call home and that the millions of people starving in Africa will look at it like a mountain on a hill.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Where did everybody go? Well, if it's Black Friday, they probably went to Wal-Mart. Or Costco. Or Best Buy.
-
I flat out refuse to go to a Black Friday event. RE-FUSE. I don't care if they're having a mega sale on Dr. Pepper. I don't care if they're selling a CD collection featuring every song Prince has ever recorded. I don't care if Amanda Marshall is there giving away free hugs. I will not go to a Black Friday event.
Hi Shteevie. Thanks for coming to Black Friday. Would you like a hug or would you rather just stare at my navel?-
I won't go to a Black Friday event because I don't like seeing people at their basest. The seven deadly sins may not be listed in the Bible, but they're a pretty good indicator of behaviors I'd like to avoid. If I don't want to see people possessed by lust, I'll stay away from strip clubs and singles bars. If I don't want to see people possessed by wrath, I'll stay away from riots. If I don't want to see people possessed by greed, I'll stay away from Black Friday.
Good grief. People are actually getting trampled by their fellow homo sapiens, all because everyone wants to save a few bucks on an iPad. I saw a news report once where some dude was talking about how sad he was that he wasn't able to get an XBox or whatever the hell he wanted at the Big Box Electronic Store Black Friday event. "My kids sure are going to be mad at me on Christmas," this dude said.
WAIT A MINUTE! STOP RIGHT THERE!
Hey douchebag, what kind of kids are you raising? Your kids aren't entitled to a new XBox on Christmas Day, their birthday, or any day. A new XBox is a privilege, IT IS NOT A RIGHT! If your shitty kids had any class at all, they'd say: "You know what, dad? You work hard to put a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, clothes on our bodies. You pay to keep the house warm and sanitized. So please, don't beat yourself up because you weren't able to snag an XBox at Best Buy. The world is full of kids who won't get XBoxes for Christmas and most of them won't even get Christmas at all."
-
The reason I was at that Costco was to buy some clothes I could wear to my grandfather's funeral. (The airline lost the bag that had my clothes.) Everybody went to the funeral (and by everyone, I mean almost each one of my grandfather's descendants.)
His family sat in the living room of his condo and we shared stories of grandad and I wasn't able to say anything because I'm only able to be vulnerable with complete strangers. But I listened to other people's stories. My mom and her sisters delivered some touching eulogies at the funeral and we left the church believing in the inherent goodness of our grandad.
My grandfather was good with money. He was thrifty. He gave his kids one very good piece of financial advice. He said that if you decide to buy something, you should ask yourself three times if you really need it. If you say no even once, don't buy it.
The people who go to Black Friday events probably never ask themselves that question. I don't need a bigscreen TV or an iPad or any electronic dohickeys. I have some. I live in a tiny apartment and I live beneath my means and I know that the people on Park Avenue might scoff at the decrepit building that I call home and that the millions of people starving in Africa will look at it like a mountain on a hill.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Comments
Post a Comment