Shopping early in the morning on black Friday is more than a waste of time
Black Friday represents the materialistic side of American society that shows its true colors on the national shopping day of the year.
All the “great deals” people get by waiting outside in the cold at midnight or in some cases, a few days before, is a waste of time. I just do not understand what the hype is all about. If you are willing to stand outside in a line for hours to save a hundred dollars on a flat screen TV, then you deserve to save the money.
Standing in long lines and waiting outside to shop is ridiculous. Maybe I feel this way because I’m a man and do not “understand” what it is all about, but shopping is one of my least favorite activities and I would never sacrifice sleep to partake in it.
Generally, and I say generally because there are men that enjoy shopping, Black Friday is a day designed for women to get their Christmas shopping done early and save some money in the process. What do the men do while the women are out shopping?
The NCAA has done men everywhere a favor by scheduling college football and basketball games on the Friday after Thanksgiving to give them something to do. Men are pretty simple and watching sports is one of the activities that I particularly enjoy.
For many men, Black Friday is a day to throw the football around in the yard or rest from the massive overeating from the day before. It’s a day to hang out with the guys and be thankful you haven’t been standing in line at JCPenny for the last three hours because a vacuum was $50 less than normal.
This year, I spent Black Friday sleeping in and watching some football. I did go shopping for a little while, but it was later in the day and the lines had died down significantly. Unless you are on the hunt for the latest and greatest gadget, you probably do not need to be at any store before noon. Many businesses offer savings all day long, which is perfect for someone like me, who is crazy enough to sleep in on their day off.
Avoiding family members you don’t particularly care for or spending more time with the ones you do is also what most folks do on Black Friday. I have family that live in Missouri and I get to see them only twice a year at best. The extra day or two off at Thanksgiving allows the opportunity to see them for longer than just one day.
Eventually, I may be standing in a similar line with my wife and I would be glad to do it. For now, however, I am going to keep sleeping in and being lazy on my day off. I get along with my extended family very well and will gladly visit with them if it means avoiding the 5 a.m. crowds.