Black Friday! I understand it has the name based on businesses using the promotions to get their businesses in the “black.” For those of you without any accounting background, losses are done in Red while profits are done in Black, hence the name Black Friday. Unfortunately to me, the term has other more ominous meanings. Now it means people starting to stampede an electronics store before the Thanksgiving turkey had a chance to cool off, much less settle in. It has gotten crazy. Some start it before Thanksgiving, and there are some, who shall remain nameless, that start pushing Christmas stuff before Halloween! An example of this random madness was on a local news report, and driven home with an interview of two rather “robust” sisters. It seems that this particular family takes their Thanksgiving Day quite seriously, by starting the ritual the night before Thanksgiving itself. What do they do every year to show how thankful they are? Well, they check into a local motel for the holiday. Why? Is it so the family can gather from all over for the holiday? Nope, it is because they will be “right across the street” from the “Super Wally World.” If you are now feeling puzzled, and perhaps going “WTF?!?”, then you will get my point. If not, then keep reading. It seems that these two ladies, and several of their other sisters and mother, leave their husbands at home, presumably munching on some sort of “turkey loaf” from the sandwich aisle, to watch football and fend for themselves. These women’s plan is simple, their spouses will be distracted by the turkey sandwich, beer, and football, while all the “women folk” (their words, not mine) gather to plan out their shopping trip. Actually, calling this a shopping trip is probably an incomplete statement. Instead, the term “operation” is probably more fitting of a description. In the rather lengthy interview, these “ladies” (using this term somewhat loosely), explained that their shopping trip will start at one minute after midnight on “Black Friday,” and will run the whole day and on into the following Saturday. They did allow that they will take a few short breaks, but this was to take “their stuff” back to their rooms, and presumably to eat something. Then again, they do have food now at this “Super Wally World,” so why stop at all? Regardless, as the interview continued, and my jaw sank into a very close proximity with the floor, it hit me. I guess, “to each his own.” Still, from the looks and the overall demeanor of these “ladies,” I don’t know whether to feel joy or sadness for their “husbands.” If it were me? I’d be happy for the sandwich and the quiet, since these “women folk” scared the living crap out of me! (I don’t say this lightly, since I’ve actually been shot at by people who were not overly fond of my continued existence.) Now you are asking, “was there a point to all this about Black Friday?” Yes, and in fact, the answer is simple and rather obvious. Sadly, if you have to ask, then you probably wouldn’t get it........ ~ Michael S. Pauley
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AuthorMichael S. Pauley is a Navy brat and an old soldier who served in all three components of the United States Army. Living in Lexington, South Carolina, Michael is now a practicing attorney and member of the United States Naval Institute and the American Legion, Post 154, Tybee Island, Georgia. Archives
June 2021
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