Black Friday

[Gardenarian]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/readaboutit/blackfriday_zpsea8cc00a.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/readaboutit/media/blackfriday_zpsea8cc00a.jpg.html)

[Blackdog Lin]

As a fellow introvert.....yeah.

And no "love" for stuff. Instead, an aversion to more stuff.

[mamalatte]

Choose Buy Nothing Day instead! https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

[ToomuchStuff]

Sounds almost "Postal" in nature.

[bae]

http://oiomi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/blackFriday.jpg

[Tussiemussies]

I'll be using the Internet for gift purchases...

[Florence]

We always go birding on Black Friday. You'd be surprised at how many other refugees from Black Friday we meet while birding on BF. This year we are going to Galveston Island which btw is just a super birding place.

[Spartana]

We are now doing Black Wednesday here:
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1335&d=1385610246

There were 3 car accidents this mid-day right in front of the place I was getting my car serviced as people jostled to get into the mall next door. Crazy crazy crazy! I won't be doing any shopping at all.

[beegreen]

i have no love for stuff but on the other hand i don't particularly hate mankind. maybe just a few of them.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Every year I trash Black Friday and every year I end out going to Target to get the prior year's season of Mad Men at deep discount. This year I got smart, though, and I did not wait in line for the 8 PM store opening - I entered the line at 8:30 PM and was quickly in the store - and I have to say I'm impressed with how Target exersizes crowd control - I very quickly found what I was looking for and was in and out the store in twenty minutes flat. Today I went to Home Depot at three PM, way past opening, to see if they still had a doorbuster left - an indoor outdoor thermometer I have been wanting for 8.99 and yes indeed, there were still a couple left. In and out of that place quickly, too.

I don't like folks working on Thanksgiving and in a way I am supporting this that I don't like via these purchases, true.....how I handle this is realizing that I myself am not going to change this. And I also don't look for electronics that people fight over on Black Friday - I look for things that are kind of geekish in nature that will not sell out quickly and I don't arrive early or stand in a long line. This eliminates a good deal of the craziness for me right there.

Rob

[KayLR]

I have only participated in Black Friday once---a few years ago when my daughter asked me to go with her. As she rarely invites me to do things with her, I went along. Not really worth it except for the company.

Here is how this the Black Friday phenomenon affects me now--- We went to hubby's brother's house for Thanksgiving. I am new to this family, but it's the second Thanksgiving with them for me. The tv was on the entire time of course--football and commercials. As brother is usually the cook (his wife does not cook), but he was feeling poorly, hubby and I prepared most of the dinner. Then the food was ready, so we all plated up, sitting in various places around the room. The dinner conversation was totally dominated by plans for Black Friday---strategies and lists and print ads. After dinner, the ads were stacked on the table and all the women and a couple men in attendance sat and leafed through them all, making lists and advising each other on preferences and best buys.

I sat on the couch next to hubby who, after about 15 or 20 min., took my hand and said, "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

No one had engaged us in conversation the whole time. I tried talking to one son-in-law, but he had abbreviated answers and one eye on the game.

It's become less and less about family and more and more about consuming.

This is just my rant---carry on....

[Gardenarian]

Kaylr - I was at a potluck and had to ask to turn the TV off due to my hearing loss. What a breath of fresh air! I think everyone was glad not to have that going on in the background. (and there is the silver lining to hearing loss :-)

I sat at the kids' table and had lots of funny and interesting conversations and a game of 'monkey in the middle'. Way better than shopping talk!

[Spartana]

Kaylr - I was at a potluck and had to ask to turn the TV off due to my hearing loss. What a breath of fresh air! I think everyone was glad not to have that going on in the background. (and there is the silver lining to hearing loss :-)

I sat at the kids' table and had lots of funny and interesting conversations and a game of 'monkey in the middle'. Way better than shopping talk!When your hearing loss gets worse (hoping it doesn't of course) then you can do like I do and just take out the hearing aids. Blessed silence!! Since I can't hear a thing without them I find I often "accidentally" forget to bring extra batteries with me when mine "suddenly" die :-)!