I work at a company that has to work on black Friday. No 4-day weekend, just turkey day off, then back to work on Friday. This has always been my reason NOT to shop black Friday. This year I decided to check it out. My daughter and her friends go every year, they love it. I love to people watch, I love shopping, I love Christmas. Seemed like a perfect match! I don't work until 7:30, and the stores open at 5, so why not?
So at 3:30am, I awoke, my daughter already dressed and ready to meet her friends. Why rush? They don't open until 5! I made some breakfast, packed my work bag, and headed out the door at 4:30. AM. (important not to forget that this is 4:30 in the MORNING.) I live 20 minutes from the nearest town with sales, so I hopped in the truck (BIG TRUCK - important to remember this fact for later), and headed out on the highway. It didn't take long for me to realize that I had joined an exodus of cars leaving our little country town and heading in to the sales. The highway was LOADED, all going in one direction, and one direction only. TO THE STORES! I smiled to myself, thinking how fun this was going to be. Why hadn't I done this every year?
My daughter's first stop was Target, to get none other than MY present from my husband (a neat little trick - he pays her to do his shopping on black Friday - she loves it - AND gets paid, he doesn't have to do the shopping - I get awesome presents for Christmas!). I thought I would meet her there, as there were a few movies I wouldn't mind getting. As I approached the parking lot, it appeared I might have a hard time finding a parking place. Not just a parking place but one that I could fit my BIG TRUCK into. The ENTIRE lot was full. It's not 4:50am. AM! The line of people waiting to get into Target was wrapped around two full sides of the building, and there were no parking places! Needless to say, I kept driving. Onto the next store~!
So I headed to Shopko, texted my dd, who, ON CRUTCHES, was still fighting the crowds at Target. She is obviously more of a woman than I! Still happy just to be out and about on this crazy morning, I grabbed a cart, nothing in particular I needed, and started "shopping". I quickly realized that you don't "shop" on black Friday. You protect your life. I'm pretty much an optimist. I figure that if I'm nice to people, they'll be nice back. If I'm polite, they're polite. YEAH. Not so much anymore. I've heard the stories, I don't live under a rock, but I was SHOCKED at how rude people can be! I'm truly thinking that there are a LOT of people out there who really don't know the true meaning of Christmas! It's NEVER ok to be rude to strangers like I saw today! Once I realized this, I decided I wasn't really in the mood. I did pick up a gift for my hubby, which was on sale (70$ off!), so I justified my morning for that. and decided to go to Target to see how my daughter was doing.
Driving into the Target lot, there STILL weren't ANY parking places! It's now 5:30am, and people are leaving, but more are coming! I decide to head to the mall. No one ever goes to our mall, so I figured I would have better luck there. And I did. Younkers had a sale on Columbias, and my dd wanted one - the least I can do for her knowing what hell she is enduring to get my present from my hubby. She calls, she's standing in line (has been since 5:18, and it's now 5:45), says I should try now to come see her. At this point, I am unsure of any logical thinking, I've lost my hope in humanity, and have realized that I have the most amazing job in the world (as it kept me from this madness for the last 17 years!).
So I once again get in my truck (MY BIG TRUCK) and venture out onto the main drag. Wiser this time, I drive around the back of the building and find a spot. It's now 5:55am, and I'm parked at Target. Wow, that only took one hour! Cool. (sarcasm folks). I walk the two blocks to the store, and go to the back for those movies I thought would make a nice gift to find that of course they are gone, no rain checks. The lines in the store literally circle THE ENTIRE store. I find my dd quite close to the front and stop to chat, with her, and several friends I ran into. She is amazing. Even on crutches, she loves the rush of black Friday.... i don't know that i'll ever go back.
