Happiest Time of the Year

So, today, was Black Friday. Probably the biggest shopping day of the year. I've never been to the sales at midnight or three a.m., but I've always imagined that there are a montage of people that are running around crazy. Women, grabbing onto things and not letting go, just like you see in the movies, and according to the people that have gone that I have talked to, it isn't far from the truth. People wanting to grab the best deals that they can, so that they can get a jump on their Christmas shopping. Others just to get the thrill of waking up early in the morning so that they can watch these people. And if I ever got the chance to see this, I would take a steaming hot cup of tea, and I would definitely go then.

My time to go shopping on this kind of day, is around five or six in the evening. Don't get me wrong I would love that early morning, but somehow I've always found myself going around that time (That, and that would be the only time I could get a ride). There are still hundreds of people in the stores, all looking left and right for what they want. Some just walking around like me, with really nothing to buy, but ending up with a few things in hand before they leave. Not that I have had any money to ever buy anything, but I take interest in walking around and looking at these people.

Have you ever looked around during Christmas season at people shopping? Honestly? No one looks really happy. Everyone is upset about something. The cashiers and the help around the store look harassed. And every single item is packed up to the ceiling to the top in order to make sure that everyone can get everything that they need. And on an important marketing day such as Black Friday. Being out of a certain item can mean loss of profit for the store. While shopping at best buy, I came across three men running up to one of the helpers around the store asking them for a new "Kinect" for the xbox system. Don't get me wrong, that thing looks seriously cool. And when they had the demo for it at the mall of America, I was first in line to be dancing without a controller. But, the looks on the helper's faces when they said they didn't have anymore, it was almost a grim weary kind of face.

They call it the Happiest time of the Year, the season of giving and happiness. But honestly, when looking around at all of the people. I don't see anything but angry faces, and a bunch of credit card being swiped through to the other side. Christmas is turning into a Holiday that Hallmark made up. It may be second to Valentines Day (which, don't get me wrong, I am totally for an excuse for a man to give a woman flowers and an extra reason to spend a day with someone you love very much) but, people shouldn't be all about the gift giving. It reminds me of the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with Jim Carrey, and every who in whosville was buy so many presidents that they just lost the meaning behind what they were giving.

Maybe we need a Grinch to steal our presents, so we can really appreciate the things that are more important in life. Like family, love, health, and once we're not all focused on the items we take treasure in, happiness.