BLACK THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It is a time to get together with family and enjoy a delicious meal together. I love eating the turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and many more things. Most of the time, the men would wash the dishes. I believe this was to express their appreciation for the meals the women had prepared (at least that is my recollection.) Living in the south, the weather normally allowed us to play outside in shorts. I even remembered playing volleyball with some of the older family members.

Thanksgiving is a day when we should think about all the things for which we are thankful. Some are thankful for family. Some are thankful for their health or their jobs. Some are thankful that they have enough to feed themselves and maybe a few others.

Some people even spend time on Thanksgiving helping to feed others. I remember years ago separating food baskets by areas and including maps so that willing drivers could bring them to those in need.

Following Thanksgiving is Black Friday. It is a day when many retailers have big sales and millions of people shopping for the perfect deal. I do not recall ever participating in Black Friday; though it is possible, my parents left home me to play. I probably got the better end of that deal.

Black Friday got its name in the 1950’s in Philadelphia because of shoppers and tourists flooded the city prior to the night’s Army-Navy game held annually on that Friday. Police would not be able to take off and would work extended hours to try to control the crowds and the traffic. In the late 1980’s Black Friday was reinvented by retailers to make it appear more positive, and it has become more widespread over our nation. It is supposedly the day when stores finally make a profit.

Slowly, but surely, retailers have let greed creep into the holiday. No longer does Black Friday happen on Friday. It begins on Thanksgiving (Thursday). What once used to be a holiday of thanks turns quickly into a day many retail-workers dread. Some never get to see their families on this day.

One thing that I am thankful for is the retail job that I have.  It is a second job, but it helps me to pay the bills, and I enjoy many of the people with which I work and the experience of Black Friday itself.

I understand that first responders and utility workers (my other job) have to work on holidays in case of emergencies. However, I would love to see retail workers that are not saving anyone’s life be able to celebrate the full national holiday of Thanksgiving to be with family. Even if the stores opened at midnight, the employees could enjoy a non-rushed Thanksgiving meal with the ones they love.

I have much for which I am thankful. I am now fifty years old. This has been my fourth Black Friday to work. I do not shop on these days, but I am thankful for the ones that take a moment to thank me for being there so they can save money. I wish everyone showed appreciation rather than treating others like you owe them.

Remember when you shop this year to enjoy the moment, but also to treat everyone with kindness.