General Discussion

Last edited Sat Nov 29, 2025, 05:40 PM - Edit history (1)

But one year, I had to run to Target or somewhere for one thing on Thanksgiving Day, maybe even the day before? Anyway, our Target is next to a Best Buy. Much to my bemusement, there were big groups of people (they mostly seemed Mexican) already lined up at Best Buy, with chairs and pup tents and thermoses and blankets.

They were having the time of their lives. They were happy, and socializing with each other, and chattering about deals. It was one of the most festive things I have ever seen. It reminded me of when I was a freshman in college and we camped out all night for football tickets (before all this online anonymity).

At that point I decided to drop my snobbery about people who enjoyed Black Friday. I like people to socialize and have fun. It really lifted my spirits. The people weren't there because of materialism, really. Sure, they were being enticed in to buy a few seasonal items, but they all knew it. It was like a game.

What I don't like is that now the greed of the CEOs, their willingness to kowtow to Trump, has put up another barrier to joy. I don't want to give money to those people either (though it's better than giving a nickel to Amazon or Airbnb). But I don't want to take away the fun the shoppers were having either. People have shopped for millennia and wares have been displayed in fun ways all that time too.