Happy Thanksgiving Day! It's that time of year again when we give thanks, eat hearty, watch football games, are entertained by marathons on TV and now go shopping. This seems to be the typical way of celebrating this American holiday anymore, which is quite opposite as to how it use to be enjoyed. Take 'Black Friday', for instance, who came up with this term? I am sure that there is some sort of history behind this once a year shopping marathon, but what corporate genius created the term?
'Black Friday' is the day following Thanksgiving Day, but this year there is a new twist. You can start shopping for all of these great bargains on Thanksgiving Day. "There is no waiting at Wal-mart," that is what they say and Target is opening their doors at 9:00 p.m., I believe. So with these new shopping hours, the term 'Black Friday,' will have to be changed. I can't wait to see what they call this shopping experience next year.
Target says, that this is what their customers want (sounds like an excuse for more revenue). And my guess is that Wal-mart picked up the ball and ran with it, suggesting that they would take it one step further - open on Thanksgiving Day and into 'Black Friday'. But hey, they are all doing it. The bargains are tremendous and consumers are willing to sacrifice in order to take part in this new, Thanksgiving tradition. Put aside the fact that the unemployment rate is approximately at 9% and the economy growth is slower then previously expected and let's not forget the amount of home foreclosures, and yet the public is still willing to play the game. And are the CEO's of these companies at home with their families or are they down in the trenches battling the consumer chaos?
So, I started thinking about what I would do if our company said, that they were extending their hours on this holiday. Well, our store closes it's doors at 5:00p.m., but, what would I do if it were turned around? Like anyone else, I would work. Granted I would feel that I was being taken for granted, but with consideration to the economy one does not have a choice. And it is that one thought that makes this depressing. Not having a choice; be with your family or keep a job.
I have never really thought much about this until now, since I have become a member of the 'Empty Nest' club. When I was growing up, holidays were spent with families, as were birthdays and other celebrations. The aromas coming from the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day were fabulous and then there was the anticipation of grandma and grandpa coming. Grandma's homemade pies and the surprise of her bringing fresh baked, chocolate chip cookies was just part of the delight of this special time. This was just how it was done, and you never thought it would change. But it did. One by one, over the years, there were empty chairs at these holiday celebrations and then all that is left are the memories of those moments. And later, you pass on these same traditions and the cycle continues. These memories are valuable and they serve us in later years. Through good times, we will smile when we think of how it was. And in sad times, the memories provide some comfort. I am glad that I grew up celebrating these holidays with my family. Because, since they are all gone, now I am left with the memories and they are warm and make me smile.
One cannot recapture these moments, so we have to make the best of them while we can. We have to capture every opportunity, because we never know when it will change. Traditions come and go, I guess, and perhaps another generation will come along and find the values of those times.
So, to all of you retail, seasonal employees that must work on this holiday - I feel for you.
Talk at ya later!
'Black Friday' is the day following Thanksgiving Day, but this year there is a new twist. You can start shopping for all of these great bargains on Thanksgiving Day. "There is no waiting at Wal-mart," that is what they say and Target is opening their doors at 9:00 p.m., I believe. So with these new shopping hours, the term 'Black Friday,' will have to be changed. I can't wait to see what they call this shopping experience next year.
Target says, that this is what their customers want (sounds like an excuse for more revenue). And my guess is that Wal-mart picked up the ball and ran with it, suggesting that they would take it one step further - open on Thanksgiving Day and into 'Black Friday'. But hey, they are all doing it. The bargains are tremendous and consumers are willing to sacrifice in order to take part in this new, Thanksgiving tradition. Put aside the fact that the unemployment rate is approximately at 9% and the economy growth is slower then previously expected and let's not forget the amount of home foreclosures, and yet the public is still willing to play the game. And are the CEO's of these companies at home with their families or are they down in the trenches battling the consumer chaos?
So, I started thinking about what I would do if our company said, that they were extending their hours on this holiday. Well, our store closes it's doors at 5:00p.m., but, what would I do if it were turned around? Like anyone else, I would work. Granted I would feel that I was being taken for granted, but with consideration to the economy one does not have a choice. And it is that one thought that makes this depressing. Not having a choice; be with your family or keep a job.
I have never really thought much about this until now, since I have become a member of the 'Empty Nest' club. When I was growing up, holidays were spent with families, as were birthdays and other celebrations. The aromas coming from the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day were fabulous and then there was the anticipation of grandma and grandpa coming. Grandma's homemade pies and the surprise of her bringing fresh baked, chocolate chip cookies was just part of the delight of this special time. This was just how it was done, and you never thought it would change. But it did. One by one, over the years, there were empty chairs at these holiday celebrations and then all that is left are the memories of those moments. And later, you pass on these same traditions and the cycle continues. These memories are valuable and they serve us in later years. Through good times, we will smile when we think of how it was. And in sad times, the memories provide some comfort. I am glad that I grew up celebrating these holidays with my family. Because, since they are all gone, now I am left with the memories and they are warm and make me smile.
One cannot recapture these moments, so we have to make the best of them while we can. We have to capture every opportunity, because we never know when it will change. Traditions come and go, I guess, and perhaps another generation will come along and find the values of those times.
So, to all of you retail, seasonal employees that must work on this holiday - I feel for you.
Talk at ya later!
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