Past Opinion Articles

Article for the week of 12/8/07

Okay, so the topic for today is holiday shopping. The old “he’s making a list thing doesn’t quite hold as much power now as it used to. Now it’s a matter of our own personal lists. Come on, y’all know the one I’m talking about. Those lists you begin compiling just after Labor Day every year?

Okay, so you’ve made it through the holiday traffic and gotten to the mall. The halls are crowded to overflowing. The shops are all spilling their merchandise and customers out into the walkways.

That old familiar crush of festive people and homebodies, all come out in the holiday season to shop for that perfect gift for their someone special. I personally try to wait till the last moment. It gives me a better chance to shop peacefully. No rush of the crowds, no pressure to buy “just one” before someone else does. By this time all the crush is gone. It’s a true Christmas pleasure to be able to shop with ripping out one’s hair, isn’t it?

My suggestions to you…especially a warning for next year… Don’t ever go out on Black Friday, that’s just plain suicidal. Believe me I did it to buy my nephew a birthday present this year. Hostile take-overs at the check stands, overspent limits. It was a nightmare and I was only in the store for fifteen minutes. It was a LONG fifteen minutes though. So that day is out. And in case y’all didn’t know, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. So back to the suggestions… No Black Friday shopping… wait until the week before Christmas or shop mostly online. It’s the safest way to go. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not have to go out among the large crowds. Small crowds are manageable, HUGE crowds are an absolute nightmare.
Have a happy holiday and try not to get crushed by the stampedes.