Give Thanks Part 2: Black Friday

Black Friday is the first shopping day after Thanksgiving where a lot of stores have their anticipated "post-Thanksgiving" sales. It was originally called "black" Friday because this was the day that a lot of companies finally broke into "profitability" for the year. Out of the red, and into the black. But this past Friday was black for a different reason. Today, in Valley Stream, New York (20m east of Manhattan)... the day after Black Friday, police are investigating camera footage from a Wal-Mart where a customer stampede led to the death of an employee.

It is not uncommon for some people to wait outside stores at 5am, waiting for the first "Christmas sales" of the year. Gotta get those gifts. Gotta buy stuff. Gotta meet all those expectations. After all, thats what Christmas is all about! Right...? I take it these were people who were not of the mind (as mentioned in my last blog) to just give out hugs and tell people that God loves them.

So, the store opens at 5am, and the crowd of people dont wanna disappoint all those people who are expecting presents. Dont wanna miss their gift. Dont want to see someone else walking off with the last of the Plasma-TV's. So, everyone LITERALLY bum-rushes the door... trampelling the guy who unlocked the door. Four other coworkers were hurt as they attempted to help the guy who was stampeded. Even a pregnant woman had to be taken to the hospital to undergo observations.

And if you find that hard to believe, AFTER THE MAN HAD BEEN REPORTED DEAD... shoppers became irate when they were told that the store would be closing for a few hours.

"I've been waiting on line since yesterday morning!"
(one person was quoted as saying)

Aaaaaaaah... Christmas is here. What a great season! I just feel it in the air. Mmmmmm... you can almost just breathe it in. Smell that love and sharing atmosphere? (Me neither) Aren't people just all-around in better moods? Helping each other? Lending a hand? Not focused on things of little importance? Sacrificing for the benefit of others. Gosh, I love Christmas. Mmm mmmm! It just makes me warm and tingly inside... so much so that I sometimes just break out in song...

"Its the most... wonderful time... of the yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaar!!!"