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Here in Kansas City, the holiday season kicks off on Thanksgiving evening with the lighting ceremony at Country Club Plaza.
There is just something magical about Christmas lights.
Over the past few years, it seems that a new holiday topic is making the headlines.
The avalanche of sales and deals,
the "never-been-cheaper", the "must-haves", and steals.
Yikes....now thousands of lights are losing their luster,
as our attention is fixated on which stores have "Door Busters".
I, personally, didn't go shopping on Black Friday this year. I'm becoming more and more annoyed by the sport of "extreme shopping. Is is just me or are others thinking this craziness is...well...crazy?
Now we have a number of choices, regarding specific shopping days that are designed to encourage us to spend.
This year we have Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. BUT surely we should add Trash-Your-Cash Tuesday and maybe Wreck-Your-Budget Wednesday just to round out the week.
The numbers are in according to the news:
- Black Friday brought in more than $1 BILLION for the first time.
- U.S. Retailers sales over the 4 day weekend increased 12.8 percent according to the National Retail Federation.
- More than 35 million Americans went shopping on Thursday....Thanksgiving Day.
- An estimated 89 million people shopped on Black Friday.
- 139.4 million people shopped in stores and online from Thursday through Sunday.
- Total spending for the weekend was 59.1 BILLION
As I look at the crowds pushing and shoving for the sake of buying more stuff, I worry...about the direction we have taken....about the lines between want, need and greed...about our priorities.
Thought Number Two: The Season of Malling or Mauling
Today is the day, I launched into the fray,
and make my way to the mall.
Clearly, I'm nuts and having no guts,
I'll jump into the midst of it all.
The mall is chaotic, I'm just idiotic
to venture forth into a store.
Not certain, if prices, that were meant to entice us,
are worth fighting the crowds, I abhor.
Upon my arrival, there's just no denial,
I am already in over-my-head.
Even parking my car is much harder...by far,
than hauling my ass out of bed.
The stars now align, found a space that is mine.
I venture into midst of the throng.
The music and lights, all seem cheery and right
but the size of the crowds seem so wrong.
The people are vying to get all the buying
they came to accomplish and more.
Their zeal's apparent, their rushing inherent
as the mob shoves their way through the door.
Rudeness abounds amid the holiday sounds
as festive music plays overhead.
Oh, what was I thinking, I must have been drinking,
when I decided to get out of bed.
The shoppers are avid, maybe they're rabid,
Can you visualize a dog with a bone?
It's all about buying, the very least, they'll die trying.
Damn it, why didn't I just stay at home?
But, hey..now that I'm here, it's exceedingly clear,
That there's gifts that need to be bought.
There's just no denying that there's shit that needs buying
or is that an irrational thought?
So, I dive into the mass, push-through and haul-ass.
I do what I came here to do.
I jab and I shove, neither done with much love,
and acquire some gifts for a few.
The point of my rhyme is that with the passage of time,
we now look for our joy at a store.
We measure success, by our spending excess.
Our mantra is now "more is more".
You'll think me a skeptic but it's all turned quite septic,
the way we've sunken so low.
No longer "it's the thought", it's about "what you bought".
But then..not every thing's wrapped with a bow.
Let's remember the reason, that beckons the season
Not everything needs paper and string.
Let peace and joy be abounding, with loved ones surrounding,
sharing the joys that the Season should bring.
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