This blog post is more of me lamenting over how much I really think they have named “Black Friday” appropriately! I think all of south Florida was out hustling about. In fact, if it weren’t for the simple fact that I needed some work done on my car and the mall was right there, I would not have participated myself. Being as it may, I did. I actually had more fun people watching than I did actually doing any shopping myself. My observations of what I saw were actually disheartening! This is my favorite time of year – I love the music, colder weather (when I did not live in Florida), decorating the tree, being with family and most importantly celebrating the birth of Jesus! This time of year is a time to give – even if you don’t believe or celebrate Jesus’ birthday! You still sit around a tree and exchange gifts. Black Friday in all of its retail glory is suppose to be a day about sale / bargains to go out and buy those presents for the loved ones. (At least that’s how I look at it)Why are so many people dreadfully unhappy? This is a time when you can be buying gifts for the upcoming holidays - I am the only one who thinks about the person opening the item in question and the sense of joy that brings knowing it will put a smile on their face. Sadly, there were rude, self centered people all around – I remember walking into the mall feeling a sense of happiness because the smell of Christmas was in the air. I walked out- actually more like ran out with a sense of “get me away from these crazy people”! Where was the joy? I did not see nor feel it at all!! There was an older lady in a line I was in; she turned around and looked at me and I smiled politely she rolled her eyes and turned around. It was one of those moments you think to yourself – “I wonder what her problem is?” I then went to grab a bite to eat and there were no seats available – there was a table with two tables adjoined with four vacant chairs. I asked the lady that was sitting there if the table farthest from them was saved she turned around and said yes. But the daughter yelled “Mom – they are not saved” then she said I could sit there. A little bit later, there was another person yelling at one of the cashiers in another store. A lady was approaching a door and a young guy just stood there as this lady struggled with all of the bags in her hand to open the door. This list can go on and on!! On a funny note, there was a young boy, while I was in Macy’s, who was begging his mom not to buy that “fish net looking thing”!! LOL I laughed because the child was dead serious! The mother protested and said it wasn’t that bad – I wish I knew what the item in question was it might have been even funnier!!
People all seem to be in their own personal bubble and consequently they happen to share the same space with you but not by choice. Rarely as a collective do we talk to someone we don’t know or smile, hold the door or just show any sort of display of manners in general. Is it really that much effort to be polite to people rather than greet someone with a “sour face”? I guess I was raised more traditionally and there is nothing better in my personal opinion than a man who will hold the door for the lady’s – that makes me smile – so have at it gentleman – hold a door for a lady and see her thank-you and smile!! Take the smile challenge and be a nice person – enjoy the holidays – sing, dance, laugh but please no sour faces apply!! Life is entirely too short to be as miserable as the people I saw this past Friday!! There is much to celebrate and be thankful for if you really take the time to consider all that you have rather than what you don't!!! Obviously, stuff clearly doesn't make people happy or that mall would have been the happiest place on earth!!
I leave this post with this last thought:
Luke 6:38: “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
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