We are 100% on board with getting great deals on things that we need. We also purchase our gifts far in advance. Christmas shopping was 90% completed in January and we’ll purchase gift for the next year this year on Black Friday. We also worked retail or other jobs that always required us to work on holidays. This isn’t some “I walked uphill both ways to school” post, rather it’s just a nice note to those who want to shame people into thinking the way that they think.
We fell into the ‘shaming’ thing that’s going on once. It was when Bridget Jones got the facelift and went all Jennifer Grey on us. How dare she, she looks unrecognizable and what kind of role model is she are just some of the things that I thought. I even posted some snarky comment and link on the ole Facebook page.
That’ll teach her….
The next day I was embarrassed by even posting that, much less thinking those things. Sure it’s true, she looks like a totally different person, but what impact does her behavior have on me? Nothing. I’ll most likely never meet her and even if I did, why would I let something she did-to herself, bring forth anything other than praise or ambivalence?
The same thoughts are going through me now regarding shopping on Thanksgiving. Some stores are opening Thanksgiving, some that night and some people are a flutter about it. How dare they open up for business during a day that should be reserved for family, football, stilted conversations with relatives and napping on the sofa?
I realize that all of the people working retail, especially Thanksgiving night or Black Friday may not want to be there. However, the way that some people on social media are kvetching you would think that these employees were doing this against their will. The loud arguments also assume that each retail worker would’ve otherwise been home bonding with their family.
For 15 years we worked most holidays. Prior to those 15 years I wanted to work on holidays to earn time and a half and to get out of the house.
Don’t get me wrong, my family growing up was great, but after the age of 14 kids want to get out of the house on holidays. Movie theaters, where I always worked as a kid, are open 365 days a year. If movie theaters are open on Thanksgiving why shouldn’t retail stores?
I know, it takes people away from their families and companies that care about their associates would not open on Thanksgiving. And right on cue, the counterprogramming stores that are announcing that they will not be open on Thanksgiving are big news too. So the stores that care about their employees are remaining closed on Thanksgiving, then the stores that are open for business must truly not care about them, right?
Some companies are taking that angle. Meh, I say. Open on Thanksgiving, don’t open on Thanksgiving. Either way we’ll get that big, brick of a paper on Thanksgiving Day. The Black Friday ads would’ve already been seen online, but we’ll still get the paper just because we’re kind of old school like that.
We’re not going to be the first in line and go elbow to elbow to get that TV or computer. However we’ll be there a couple hours after you open to get some LEGOS, Hot Wheels, shoes, socks and other toys our kids will want for their next birthday.
The shaming of people online is fascinating behavior. Initially it reminded me of those paid protesters that you see in front of large office buildings. They have large banners that say “Shame on Smith Corporation for office violations” or something like that. The problem with this and the greater ‘shame’ campaign is that the remorseful emotions behind shame need to come from the person.
In those cases, they’re getting paid, there really isn’t any shame. Some of your friends who are posting black circles about boycotting businesses that open on Thanksgiving might be ashamed, but is that really the emotion they’re feeling? They’re ashamed to shop at Best Buy, Kohls, Macy’s or Target? Angry at the commercialization of another holiday, maybe, but shaming people because they’re going shopping is a poor argument.
It’s OK to shop on Thanksgiving. Likewise if you want to boycott Black Friday or any of the businesses that are opening early, that’s OK too. Chill out, shop, don’t shop, this is a great example of a first world problem.
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Hey,
So, I am totally with you on keeping snarky comments off of Facebook. And, I don’t need to post some pledge to let people know that I will not be shopping on Thanksgiving. I agree that Facebook has become this dumping ground for people to spew bad feelings, let off some steam, unnecessarily join a band wagon. I try hard not contribute to that stuff and not to be too annoyed by it, because it is a waste of my time and emotions.
I, too, have worked in retail on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. But, I was off in time for dinner or to attend church services and the store wasn’t that packed because no one had a reason to really be out. My brother-in-law went out last night to shop and I did give him the finger wag. He responded that many of the people working are happy to do it because they are less well off and are getting paid time and a half. Here’s how I responded: if a person is in real need of cash and their boss asks them to work Thanksgiving so they can earn some of that needed extra cash. How can that person say no? They would feel obligated to work even if they did have plans.
And, none of this mentions the craziness of it all. I really do feel bad for people that feel the need to go out and storm the stores for an item they didn’t really want but had to have because it was so cheap. I thought Black Friday was bad enough but now that the crazy commercialism and materialism has spread to Thursday I am even more disgusted. I don’t mean to make you feel bad about going shopping today UNLESS I see you later on YouTube tonight pulling some poor girl’s hair to get to a Barbie for your non-existent daughter. Then, yeah, shame on you.