Thanksgiving

Remember Thanksgiving?

It's that holiday between Hallowe'en and Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice that's become little more than a turkey speed bump between costumes and presents.  More's the pity, because it's one of the holidays that has the fewest expectations laid on it.  You don't have to dress to impress (except maybe the turkey), buy just that right gift, or hide eggs from small children.  It used to be a lovely, relaxed day off, with another lovely, relaxed day off following right behind it, and then - joy of joys - there was still a weekend left!!  And all you're supposed to do is find something for which to be grateful.

Then somewhere in the throes of exposing historic reality (Native American invasion and exploitation, starvation, and all kinds of unappealing realities) and the rise of consumerism, the whole thing got thrown out.  Now it's a carbo load before we go shopping at midnight.  Do we pause and express gratitude for all we have as a nation?  No, quite the opposite - we express a felt need for more, more, and more. 

And by the way, those clerks at midnight madness tomorrow night?  They're human beings.  The ones who keep your drugstore open or are in your grocery store so you can pick up the nutmeg you forgot - they're people who maybe wanted the day off, too.  But do they get treated like people?  No.  It's just a matter of time until one of them is seriously injured as shoppers stampede to get a $199 flat-screen TV.  Just the one.  That's all there is.  And right now, on Thanksgiving Eve, there are tents pitched outside the store.  Never mind Occupy Wall Street - this is an Occupation that supports the very greedy retail corporate CEO's and shareholders.  Just because they're not banks doesn't make them nice.

The big-box stores are setting up a disaster waiting to happen.  You have (1) people on a sugar (or alcohol) high who have been up all day, eating too much and probably indulging in watching competitive football, getting all hyped up.  And now they're tired and a little cranky.  You have (2) a single TV for sale for an outrageously low price.  You have (3) a lot of retail clerks who are under 25, who maybe lack the judgment of seasoned adult employees - that's why they're there, after all.   The seasoned adult employees got the day off because they have seniority. The kids are working because they were threatened with termination - after all, there are 20 more out there waiting to take their place in this economy.  They're going to stay up all night and work.

At midnight, the stores are going to open.  If no one gets trampled or hurt in a fistfight over a gadget that will not matter 5 years from now, the kids get to work all night, sometimes more than 8-9 hours, and then drive home.  On Black Friday.  In ridiculous traffic.

Right now there's a blimp with an electronic sign. . .yes, I said blimp,over our shopping mall.

That's why this year I'm not going anywhere near those stores. (Full disclosure - I pour wine tastings at a California chain liquor store, BevMo, which will NOT open at midnight tomorrow night.)  They're abusing their employees because they can.  They're turning what used to be a beautiful, slow-paced holiday with loved ones into a stampede of greed.  And they're not getting one thin dime of my money this holiday season.  I'm shopping local and buying local.  I'd like if you'd think about doing the same.

And take a moment to be grateful for all you have - whether it's a roof over your head, a meal on the table, loved ones nearby, or just a great song on your iPod.  Have a happy, real Thanksgiving.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!