Seems like I was just mowing the lawn and then bang! Here we are with snow on the ground and the first of two great holidays approaching. A time for all Americans to stop their labor, reflect, and shop.
I’m old enough to remember when Thanksgiving used to be, ya know, a holiday. People got the day off from work, maybe the next day too, and gathered with friends and family to celebrate the many blessings God showers on us all.
Now, all we hear is Black Friday this and Black Monday that. Normally sane-looking people camp in front of stores overnight to get the best deal on the latest crappy, must-have Christmas gift. I guess it’s really worse now, as some retail outlets are staying open 24 hours to accommodate the madness. I feel sorry for the people who have to work in those stores, separated as they are from the joys of home and family that others take for granted on this day.
Look, I’m as big a fan of free-market capitalism as you’re likely to find, but there’s no denying the inherent motive of greed and acquisitiveness at work underneath it all, which if unchecked by some sort of corresponding altruism and decency, coarsens and degrades our society.
I’m sure you know that the word “holiday” is a verbal corruption of holy day. “Holy” means sacred or set apart. Granted, Thanksgiving is a secular holy day, but that does not detract from the sacredness of its intent: to give thanks to God for all that we have, especially our lives. When we fail to set apart days for reflection and celebration, or make the ones we do observe just like the other 364, we ultimately lose some of our humanity.
So if you find yourself in a store on Thursday or Friday, give a thought to the people working there. Wish them happiness before you leave, and when you sit down to carve your bird, thank God for all that you have because we all have so much more than we deserve.
I am thankful for every one of you who faithfully stop by to read my dribblings!
God bless you and yours this holiday season!
The past few years more and more retailers have been infringing on Thanksgiving Day itself to greater degrees. This year there has been a noticeable decline in the number of retailers opening on Thanksgiving Day. Additionally, those who are opening on Thursday are doing so later than they have in recent years. It’s rare to see what I would call “common decency” given back once its lost. The trend will only continue if we demand it of the retailers. One thing I can tell you for sure; they’ll do exactly what your dollars tell them to do. Continue to demand decency, won’t you?
I shall!