Frenzied Friday

Black Friday.

Ahhh, a day when an attitude of thanksgiving is often displaced by an attitude of greed. How does that happen? One day, we're grateful for all that we have and the next, we're pushing others aside in our wanton desire for more. Granted, many are looking for bargains to wrap up and place under the tree. But the bottom line is still the same... gimme, gimme, gimme.

I made the mistake of doing the whole early morning Black Friday thing only once... and never again! My daughter was moving to her first apartment and needed everything. Her plans were to hit Walmart as soon as it opened, grab her bargains and then head to work at the flower shop.

Being a night person, more so then than now, I was soaking in the tub at 4 a.m. and decided to just skip sleep and go with her. What could it hurt? And it just might be fun. Besides, we would be done before she had to be at work at 8, so I could come home and crawl into bed for awhile.

Oh my. The insanity was remarkable. I think we got the last parking place and it wasn't even time for the store to open! Really? I naively asked myself. People really do this? Keep in mind, this was nearly a decade ago, and apparently things have progressed a bit... and not in a good way! One thing that's changed for me is that I won't step foot in a Walmart these days. Nope. No way.

Okay, I admit, I'm probably stepping on some toes here. It's not my intention to offend. I'm just making my own observations about a trend that I don't quite understand. Is a bargain really worth the ugliness it brings out in people?

For me, shopping local is a much better option. Might I pay a bit more? Perhaps? But I'll be helping a local business keep its doors open, and I believe our local businesses are a true gem in our society.

So, I'm asking you to consider supporting your local shops and restaurants on Small Business Saturday. Spend some of your Christmas budget on folks who just want to make an honest living. Folks who most likely gave their employees a day off to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. Folks who truly care about their community.

Just a suggestion.

Either way, I encourage you to shop wisely... in whatever way that translates to you. Be safe and be smart.

So, what are you? A Black Friday frenzier, a Small Business Saturday saavy shopper, or a Cyber Monday maniac? Or perhaps you're just a pantser... flying by the seat of your pants looking for bargains as Christmas creeps up. Let me know in the comments below.