Black Friday

It has been such a while since posting, that I thought I would start with this one - Black Friday shopping. The apprehension and anxiety leading to trepidation is always highest just before Friday - around 4:00am. News articles, blogs, websites... all talk about the crowds and difficulty in shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

This year I thought I would give it a try - see what the hype is all about. Although, I did not venture out at 4:00am. It was around 11:30am when I hit the roads for the several stores I had in mind. Building Blocks - looking for a pre-school spanish program or books to work with my 3-year old on learning spanish. Kohl's - finding a certain pair of boots my wife said she was interested in for a Christmas gift. Best Buy - seeking a Garmin so I would quit getting lost on those road trips I take several times a year. And... I thought about Wal-Mart, but opted against going there.

What I found most interesting were the people. I knew what I wanted at each store so I did not spend a lot of time actually shopping, but spent more time people watching. And believe it or not I found many of the people upbeat and friendly. Only a few here and there seemed harried and out of sorts.

I watched one lady at Kohl's juggling 6-8 packages, drop a couple of them, step on one of her children's toys, set everything down on a table and try to regroup. It was obvious to me that she had too many things in her hands. I was in the check out line with only two items in my cart, so I offered her the cart. She accepted it - but I can't remember if she said thank you or not. Most likely she did.

At all the places I stopped, the employees were gracious, helpful and smiling - a feat I would not have accomplished had it been me.

All in all - a good Black Friday experience. I'd love to see that many people rushing into church on Sunday morning though. It's the pastor side of me, I know. But really - shouldn't saving souls be more important than saving a few dollars on good deals for Christmas?

peace out (as my three year old says to me).

Patrick