That Day After Thankgiving

Black Friday is crazy. Why do we even do this? How did this ridiculous event start? Does anyone know?  We give up precious hours of sleep, the day after Thanksgiving, to stand in line for that IPod speaker system we don’t even want.  It’s not even that good of a deal, anyways, but nevertheless, we must have it.  This is the epitome of American consumerism. And it baffles me.

It baffles me because I do it EVERY single year. And I have deduced that the only reason I participate in this madness is for one reason and one reason only. It’s fun! What other reason could you possibly ever have to be at Target at one in the morning? This year was no different. 

Most people don’t know, but it takes quite a bit of effort to get ready for black Friday. On Thanksgiving, you have to pick up your local newspaper before early in the morning, and spend a good bit of time going over the Black Friday ads. Then, you have to develop your battle plan.

Last year, my mom and I went to Wrentham Outlets at midnight, which was a good way to experience the complete and total madness of Black Friday.  Between the crazed moms at the Coach outlet, and the vicious teenagers at Pac Sun, I saw my life flash before my eyes more than once. But this year, we decided to switch it up and stay local. We drove, bleary-eyed and jittery to the Providence Place Mall and there our Black Friday began. This was a bit tamer than the whole Wrentham experience. From 3 in the morning until 9, we shopped and debated and tried to stay caffeinated. My hair was a mess, I was exhausted and in a take-no-prisoners kind of mood, so naturally, I ran into about 12 people that I knew. It’s difficult to strike up conversation when your main priority is to remain standing.  

There is no better way to experience the world of combative shopping than going out on Black Friday. Make sure you are armed with an assertive attitude and enough coffee to last you for days, because believe me, you’ll need it. Oh, and sharp elbows don’t hurt either.

"Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase." - Erma Bombeck

Hope all of your Black Friday shopping madness was a success this year!

Rach