Time waits for no one. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Family and friends will soon gather to share stories, reminisce about "the good 'ol days" and, of course, feast.
Times have certainly changed from Thanksgiving Day's past. My kids are now grown with spouses of their own. Living out of town, the time they can spend at any one house is limited. I tell myself "I understand", yet I can't help but long for the good 'ol days.
Back in my day (oh my, did I really say that), my Thanksgiving Day kitchen hustle would begin at 3 a.m. Prepping a 22 lb. turkey and preparing all the fixins' to feed 15+ people. While that was no easy task, I loved it....or did I? Well, that's what I told myself anyway. While the turkey was basting, green beans simmering, sweet potatoes baking, deviled eggs chilling, and veggies on the table for pre-meal munching, my thoughts were focused on Black Friday shopping.
Newspaper ads arrived the day before, or Thanksgiving morning. Yes, newspaper ads, can you believe it? In-between stirring times, moving items from burners to potholders to allow for another pan, and setting the table, I would scour the ads, double check early bird door buster times, make a detailed list of which sales were at what stores, and map out my adventure based on item needed and door buster times. Black Friday sales were the only way I could maintain my self-imposed, super mom badge. My kids knew how to deliver a guilt trip and play it to the hilt, and they did.
"Mom, please tell Santa that it's the ONLY thing I want for Christmas!"
Who were they kidding? There was never an "only" thing they wanted. Thanks to Saturday morning cartoon advertising, they had a long list of "had to have" items. I dreaded and despised the non-stop, commercial driven antics of the toy industry. Hot item lists and anticipated shortages plagued my very existence. How could I let my kids down? There could be no exceptions or mishaps, Santa HAD to deliver! Mindful of my limited budget and armed with determination, Black Friday shopping became my ultimate challenge.
I soon learned that Black Friday shopping was not an exercise for the amateur or an adventure for the fainthearted. Black Friday shopping success depended upon strategy, expertise and a fierce desire to beat the competition. My first time out as a Black Friday shopper was a total debacle and colossal failure. I had no idea about the skill necessary to win! Yes, win. It was on that pivotal day I knew something would have to change. I would need to train and be in tip top shopping shape for the next year. The stars had aligned, and my shopping guru fate was sealed. The following year, my professional Black Friday shopper persona emerged, and my mad mom on a mission personality surfaced.
Many stores would open their doors between 2 and 4 a.m. The door buster specials were limited, and it wasn't good enough to just be in line, I had to be the first one in line to have a chance at getting the "must have", "hard to get" item. This necessitated being in line no later midnight.
Every year, newbies would try to enter the arena. While I sort of felt sorry for them, I knew they would have to learn the hard way. First time Black Friday shoppers just didn't seem to understand the consequences of drinking too much coffee or the hassle of returning lawn chairs to the car. Suffice it to say, getting out of line wasn't always respected. Newbies would show up unprepared and would experience a Black Friday bootcamp of sorts. It is impossible to accurately describe the brutality that could accompany Black Friday shopping. Once the doors opened, rules disappeared and shoppers, who earlier appeared to be jolly and friendly, mysteriously transformed into raging mobs brandishing fisticuffs, pushing, shoving and displaying ruthless hostility. Looking back, I'm a little ashamed of myself.
Over the years, I became very skilled at Black Friday shopping and my BFF and I incorporated team shopping into our ritual. Team shopping made it even easier to secure more of our "must have items". If this were a documentary, this would be a perfect place to insert a memory slide with wistful sighs; however, the bottom line is, those days are gone. Young parents today will never experience the thrill and defeat of Black Friday shopping. The era of Cabbage Patch Dolls, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Tickle Me Elmo, Power Puff Girls, Nintendo, PlayStation, Fur Real Cat, and Furbie are gone but the memories remain. Black Friday shopping became a quest I conquered and now, for me, it's over!
Like I stated earlier, times have changed. I still seek out the coveted Black Friday specials, but these days, I shop from the comfort of my computer. There's no real anxiety because I know that if I miss a sale, there will be another one on Cyber Monday, and every week thereafter until Christmas. Of course, if all else fails, there's the after Christmas and New Year's sales that follow.
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not saying that I will never again (never say never) suit up to tackle the crowds once again. I admit there is something about the experience and the rush of adrenaline that comes with zigging and zagging my way through a frenzy of sale chaos. Although it is impossible for me to know whether or not nostalgia will once again release my "Mad Woman on a Mission" personality; if it does, use caution. While I may be older, don't move as quick as before, and do not have any cartilage left in my knees, should that day arrive, I highly suggest that you move on or move over!
If you're like me, sometimes it's hard to refrain from longing for the good 'ol days. But then again, drinking a hot cup (or pot) of coffee, knowing I don't have to worry about getting out of line, shopping online till my fingers drop, all while wearing my warm jammies; maybe, just maybe, these are the good 'ol days after-all.
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