Day before Thanksgiving...

Day before Thanksgiving...Thanksgiving is just blah for me. The whole purpose is to sit around a large table, gorge oneself and fight with your family. As my family seems to be shrinking in size and I have not done my part to procreate as of yet, the main focus now is on food alone.

This year, Jay and his family are going to Kari's family. That leaves just the standard five. Hopefully, it is a day that is relaxed, calm and fun if possible. I'll take People magazines for Grandma to read, Elf for Ben to watch and try to help Mom as much as possible. Dad, well I know Dad won't have a nice time no matter what happens.

I remember when I was living far away and working retail. Being home with them, expeiencing this holiday was so important, so vital to me. I would drive for five hours, sleep, eat and leave. Now I see them all at least once a week. I do value my time with my family but I also know that we tend to not appreciate each other as much since we are so familiar.

The day after Thanksgiving was always an exciting, fun and exhausting experience for me while working at the Big M. I always looked upon it with a mix of anticipation and dread. You know what to expect. Long lines, steadily emptying shelves and displays. Calls for your attention in more directions than can be imagined. The shoppers on this particular day were normally well behaved. They came to the mall expecting to wait in line, expecting to face a crowd. They are cheerful and eager to enjoy a day of retail therapy at a time when they would normally be working in their own jobs. They wake early, credit card in hand. Ready to do some damage.

As the season runs on, tempers short. The same woman who cheerfully stood in line for 20 minutes on the Day After now won't hold for three minutes while someone does a price check. Their credit cards are maxed and their lists are still long. They take their anxiety and stress and bile on whatever target is closest.

Finally, Christmas arrives and what I personally feel is the 2nd biggest day of shopping comes to pass. The day after Christmas is a time of returns (why people won't wait a day or two I'll never know). Scavengers come in seeking clearance bargains. Scams run aplenty.

When comparing the Day After of a month ago and the one in December, it is startling. The patient shopper has now grown teeth and horns. They bite and chew and complain and threaten. They attempt to return items which have been used for the entire season for no valid reason. Half eaten cakes are returned because they have grown stale. Lightbulbs have burned out after two months of continuous use and returns MUST be made.

Once the season is over some time in mid-January. Any sane retail employee will plan for a relaxing vacation away from the hustle and bustle and tantrums and mess. Batteries must be recharged.

A slight degree of Christmas spirit must find a way to reenter or the season will be ruined for you forever. I don't know that my spirit has really healed entirely in the past thee years since I left that life. At times, I think maybe it has. At others, I am pretty sure that wild horses could not drag me near a mall on November 26th. I miss it but I would never, EVER do it again.