It's Black Friday! Do You Believe?

"The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her."

~Marcelene Cox

 

Is there anything better than shopping on Black Friday? No, really, what's it like? LOL. Black Friday is a BIG holiday in our house, but not for the reason you think. You see, Alan and I love to go to some shopping mecca, our favorite being Union Square in San Francisco, and watch others enjoying their post Turkey Day shopping. Hey, we ladies deserve a day of shopping porn. We work hard on Thanksgiving making loved ones feel comfortable, preparing the perfect holiday dinner, and generally seeing to every one's needs. Now don't get me wrong, we love all that homespun stuff, but the next day, when we are out hunting bargains, we get to step into another plane of existence! The RETAIL dimension.

Being a girl that likes a good bargain, I wouldn't mind trying that walk in the RETAIL DIMENSION sometime, but on Black Friday, I just want to grab a warm drink, and sit next to Alan, and see who can spot the most unusual shopping oddity! We like to people watch, and oh what people we have seen over the years! One time we saw two lovely ladies, rushing through the square, with bags from Victoria's Secret, the Disney Store, Tiffany's, Barney's and Bloomingdale's, all lined up... wait for it... wait for it... hanging from a shower curtain rod between them! Now THAT is resourcefulness! LOL. As humorous as it was, I had to give the girlfriends all the credit in the world, that rod made carrying all those bags much easier to handle.

"Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it."

~William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

This year I had planned to go into Macy's and purchase a little something. Just one a small item, so I could say I was a part of the fun, but I am having a hard time trying to figure out whether or not I can bring myself to shop at Macy's ever again! I have to admit, I am not happy with how Macy's has handled the whole Donald Trump baloney. As you probably know, I am not a big fan of Mr. Trump, I think he is the worst kind of person, the kind that seeks to divide, for his own selfish gains. And I am not alone in that opinion. I am in the company of about 650,000 other consumers who signed a petition to let Macy's know how we feel about Donald Trump being a part of Macy's "magic." Macy's answered the petition with a resounding... SO WHAT?

Okay, that's fair. And so is my rethinking what I "BELIEVE" in. Macy's loves to tell us to BELIEVE. I believe that Macy's is not where I want to spend money. But is it possible to find any retail experience that would line up perfectly with my personal values? Probably not on the scale of Macy's. Or any other large retailer, but I know independent stores can not only give me more personal service, but make me feel good about supporting my community. I think it's time that our household get back to some basics. It's time to spend money in Berkeley, and the East Bay. In fact, this Saturday is National Small Business Saturday! It's the day to support those small local gems of low stress shopping.

I am uncomfortable with boycotts, I feel like the ones who suffer aren't the CEO's or the Trumps of the world, but the everyday sales people just trying to earn an honest living. A living which might only be seasonable. It's a tough situation to consider. On the one hand, I don't want to put money in the pockets of companies that contribute to such negativity, but I feel for the people who show up to work for an honest days living, only to be put in the middle of such bitter sentiments. Sigh. Black Friday used to be a day for bargains, and fun, and a chance to get out into the world and relax, but now, it's already stressful, and as I write this, it's not even 1:00 am!

Sad.

"Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury... to me these have always been contemptimtible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind."

~Albert Einstein

Okay, tell me what you think? Black Friday... thumbs up or thumbs down? Donald Trump... winner or loser? Donald Trump... to dump or not to dump? Will you be shopping on Black Friday? How about Small Business Friday? Tell me everything?



~Me :)