A Word About Commerce

So, I was watching the news here in Milwaukee last night after enjoying a rather fantastic Thanksgiving dinner with my delightful family.(No lie there, I’m serious) It was DEFINITELY the news B-team. No doubt there. My main point is one about the news that gets covered on Thanksgiving Day. It was, of course, about shopping. And crazy people. Now….I don’t know. Maybe you’re one of those people that gets up at some hour of the morning where people really ought be sleeping for at least 3 more hours to go line up at a store to get a chance at maybe, possibly getting some kind of electronic gadget that you may or may not need. I don’t know. I’m just going to state my thoughts on these matters.

1. There is absolutely nothing I need that will make me sit in front of a store for the entirety of Thanksgiving Day until it opens just so I can hope to get a shot at it.

We’ve ruined Thanksgiving, people. Thanksgiving is about taking some time to sit with people we love and care about and think about how lucky we are that we have what we have. It’s NOT about sitting in front of the outlet mall in the cold for 24 hours because your job doesn’t pay that well and your kids want UGG boots, a North Face coat, and designer jeans.You know what you should do for your kids instead? You should take them to the Hunger Task Force or some other similar mission and have them serve Thanksgiving dinner to people who don’t have houses, beds, or winter coats at all. Then you should have a talk with them afterward about being thankful for what they do have and what you CAN afford to buy them for Christmas.

2. Eating Thanksgiving dinner out of tupperware in front of the parking lot of Best Buy sorta ruins the whole experience, doesn’t it?

At what point in your life do you tell your family that the TV you want is more important than eating a meal with them and just having them pack it to go? There are many many people in this country who would give almost anything to be able to be with family or friends on Thanksgiving. You’ve decided that you’d rather spend it with strangers in a store parking lot eating cold turkey slices and congealed gravy because they have laptops for $200 and you “can always use a laptop”. What are your priorities, and how did they get so drastically different from mine?

3. Driving to Milwaukee from St. Louis to get bargains at the outlet mall COMPLETELY defeats the purpose.

Seriously.How much money did you spend on gas to drive here from St. Louis? I bet it’s not more than you’re going to save on the ridiculous stuff you don’t even need. There are malls in St. Louis. And places closer to St. Louis than Milwaukee is. Stay home. See your families. Go to the mall in St. Louis.

Everyone seems so keen to talk about how there’s an economic crisis on, but you wouldn’t know it from the “stuff”-hungry consumers of the world that would rather make sure they get electronics just because they’re cheaper than actually try to help out people who NEED things. If you’ve got $200 to drop on a laptop just because it’s nice to have around, then go buy food and clothes for people who’ve lost everything. If you DON’T have $200 to drop on a laptop. Then stay home and tell your family you love them and you’ll all come out of this by sticking together. By NO MEANS should you still BUY the laptop!!!!

That’s my piece for the day. Happy Thanksgiving folks.Please take a minute and think about what really matters in your life.If it’s having more stuff……I guess that’s fine……but I’ll probably think less of you for subscribing to the capitalist, consumeristic, disgusting mess this country has made people.