Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but the truth is, it has attained that status in my world through the default of my REAL favorite holiday, Christmas. Christmas, in and of itself, will always be the best holiday because of what it represents; Peace on Earth, Good Will to All, Joy to the World and Love and Giving. And it all began with the birth of a baby in a cave or stable somewhere in the bowels of the Middle East 2000+ years ago. The baby grew up, lived for 33 years, preached love and forgiveness, and changed the world forever. The whole thing is unbelievable. The story is also TRUE. (By the way--there are millions & millions of folks who agree with me on that--could actually be 2,000,000,000 or two billion---So there!).
Thanksgiving really asks nothing of us except to "share and give". It's beautiful. Well, that is how Christmas started. What happened to me this year was "Black Friday" was replaced by "Black Insanity". The Christmas season has always been commercialized, especially in the 20th century and "Black Friday" has been around for a long time with people standing in line in freezing weather at two in the morning to get a "deal" on stuff. Good for them. They had already done the family thing on Turkey Day. For many it became a holiday tradition.
Now, this year, along comes "Black Insanity" (my definition). People were camping out all week so they could get save a few bucks on stuff on Thanksgiving morning and afternoon and evening. WHOA--What happened to family day with the turkey and stuffing and cranberries and pie and football and too much tryptophan --Puhlease---STOP! We need some quality time with our family and friends. Forget about saving some money. You are giving up something that has no price tag because it is priceless. Look folks, we need to empty ourselves once in a while of the world around us, even if it is just a little bit.
There was a time in America when every Sunday was family day. People who had jobs in necessary services were the ones who worked on Sundays. Dads and moms would have dinner together with the kids, take them out together, or just simply hang out together at home. Most stores were closed, period. I grew up in NYC and the only stores open on Sunday were the candy stores to sell newspapers, the delicatessens and the bakeries. Of course, the saloons opened after 1p.m. That was it. There was a serenity in the air on Sundays, a pause from the everyday, a calmness that surrounded people. It was not perfect but it was good.
I am just trying to make a point with all this rambling and the point is this. This "Black Insanity" that has taken place this year has opened the proverbial Pandora's Box. Once opened it will never be closed. The only thing that will happen is "Black Insanity" will expand it's clutching fingers and grab hold of more and more folks who will believe that they are "missing out". All those Sundays of years ago were crammed into Thanksgiving and Christmas. It took a long time but it looks like Thanksgiving has just become another modern Sunday? What's next? Christmas Day "white sales"?
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