A lifetime ago I was a retail manager. The holidays quickly became something to dread with long hours and often times mean people. Where’s the holiday spirt people?

Fast forward to today…

The hours are even crazier. In my days in retail, the earliest we opened was five or six in the morning. Of course that was after staying open until eleven or twelve the night before.

It seems like every year the stores are staying open later and opening earlier. In recent years the trend has been for stores to open at midnight on Friday. Do people really shop that early? The news reports of people being trampled say YES.

This year I was shocked and appalled to see that some stores are opening as early as eight in the evening on Thanksgiving. You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. ME!!!

Is nothing sacred anymore? Thanksgiving is the ultimate family holiday, where families can come together around a delicious meal to slow down and give thanks for the blessings they have.

I have two problems with stores opening on Thanksgiving day.

First, the stores need employees to run, you better believe the people who made the decision to open on Thanksgiving will be home with their families. Most of these employees are not given a choice to work the holiday and it would not be surprising to find out that these employees are making straight pay not time and a half (although on that I am not sure). To me, this move shows where the powers that be priorities lie and it’s not with their eomployees.

Next, what kind of example is this setting for the next generation? What is more important, material goods or family? I feel it sends a mixed message to young people.

I’m not so much against Black Friday. I’ve tired it and it’s not really my thing but some people make a fun excursion out of it…More power to them. My issue is with Black Thursday. Major retailers should not be interrupting a holiday by tempting shoppers with good deals. It’s shameful.

Here’s my challenge to you. Boycott Black Thursday. I know, I’m not usually the boycotting kind of girl, but at some point you have to say enough is enough. Instead of shoveling that slice of pumpkin pie down your throat as you run out the door in search of those “Doorbuster” deals, stay home. Be with your family and enjoy the moment. Tomorrow is another day. If these retail chains don’t see enough profit they might choose to stay closed next Thanksgiving.

I’ve always felt that the seasons are rushed. We hadn’t even made it to Halloween before stores started decking the halls. The moment Christmas is over you’ll see resort wear in all the windows. Life is rushed enough as it is, why are we rushing our way through the seasons?

What are your thoughts? Are you excited to head out on Thanksgiving in search of the perfect gift or will you wait it out for Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Share your thoughts here…

See what other bloggers think about it…

I worked for over a decade in retail, so I’ve never been a big fan of black Friday. I value my sleep more than a “good” deal, so I’ve never been the kind of person to get up before the sun to go shopping. This year I was given an opportunity to do something different with the wee hours of my black Friday morning…I took the opening shift (5am-8:30am) at the Y.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Would it be busy with the dedicated members I’ve grown to love? Would it be a ghost town as everyone is either sleeping off their turkey coma or out shopping? I was about to find out.

I have to admit that I was kind of disappointed when I got there and saw only employee cars in the lot. I’ve worked this early shift before and there are usually a few brave souls waiting patiently at the door to get in.

It was a slow start, but they eventually started to trickle in. The regulars. The people who won’t even miss a workout on the day after Thanksgiving. I was proud of them. I bet that no matter how dedicated I was I would have stayed in bed. I was truly inspired to see people opting for a workout over sleeping in or shopping. The members that morning made me want to do better, to exercise more, to get my ass in shape.

With all the horror stories that I saw on the news throughout the day of people being punched, kicked, pepper sprayed and even stabbed over frivolous possessions, it was refreshing to see people who cared about the things that are truly important. Being healthy and fit, but even more importantly, friends and community. I saw friends meeting up to go running, play basketball, hit a class and visit the fitness center…at six in the morning the day after Thanksgiving!

Sure, it was an early morning. Sure, I could have been shopping…Oh let’s be realistic here, I could have been sleeping. I’m glad I took the opportunity to go in and work, the members at my Y are a true inspiration. They could have been doing any number of things, but instead they came to exercise.

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