The Freaks Come Out And Shop: Lessons Learned from Black Friday

Black Friday has been around for 45 years or in lighter terms since Generation X arrived on the scene (sorry, but it's true). However, the logic of this idea never caught on with me. Call me crazy but I'm one of the few women who actually dreads shopping.

Not that I don't enjoy a nice top or cool pair of jeans, but the work in finding the right outfit is never fun. I only like to shop with someone I know who helps me pick the right clothes. By myself is way too isolating. It's necessary when shopping for gifts, but more of a necessary evil.

So I'm assuming you can tell that I don't like or understand Black Friday and that's mainly because of what it brings out in people. This year it was all the more evident when people reverted back to the days of cavemen and nearly pillaged every suburban chain this year.

Now to be honest, I did attempt one Black Friday with my dad two years ago and since I arrived at 9am instead of 5am, it was pretty much a bust. But I should have been busted for thinking a $4 blender was worth all of that trouble.

And now seeing what this madness has done to people and family gatherings, it makes me reflect on what's really important.

I was shocked when I heard that Target workers decided to go on strike this year against their respective employer. Not so much what they were protesting, but the fact that they had to protest what they deserve (as we all do) to have. And to me that's what everyone else had this year, a good meal, family and friends to share it with, and time to recover from the big meal.

But instead of getting ready to celebrate, they'd have even less time because Target opened at midnight. I understand Target wants to get a jump start on business, but the customer is not always right. I mean, would it really have made a difference what time you get to the sale? The junk you're looking for will still be there. That being said, I think Target was in the wrong for shortchanging these workers and valuing money instead of the people who help them make it.

Another shocker was the mother of two who was shopping with her kids in an LA area Walmart, decidedly pepper sprayed fellow shoppers in the middle of the store. Really? Is a video game worth more than common sense and decency? Unfortunately, it's looking that way.

The article that I read said she was a "competitive shopper" but I prefer to call her a "first-class nincompoop." I know that's harsh, but it's not nearly as harsh as what she did to people who were acting like animals, but nonetheless at least thought enough not to use weapons in order to get the gift.

And then there was another person who decided to fire shots in San Leandro, CA on Black Friday. Of course this person was more interested in robbing their fellow shoppers than actually trying to do things the legal way. This beyond sad, not to mention dumb. Of course I believe people get robbed in times of vulnerability but to prey on someone knowingly and then shoot them, that's low.

Speaking of low, people actually resorted to crawling in some stores just to get the deals. I'm sorry but unless you're playing with a baby or looking for something, you should have stopped crawling after you learned to walk. We aren't animals, are we?

Unfortunately for the poor man in West Virginia who collapsed and later died after having a heart attack, I'm sure his answer would be yes. This man was like everyone else, in search of a deal but due to lack of compassion died in one of the worst ways possible. People walking over him and ignoring him like he was a dead tree leaf and not a real person.

I hope that we can turn this around, because the more I think of it, the less I'm in favor of Black Friday.

If you must pursue Black Friday and all its madness, then how about a new set of rules for everything to happen more smoothly.

1. Act Like You Were Raised By Humans: As simple as that sounds, it seems some of our fellow citizens seem to forget this. If you can't manage please and thank you to the poor souls who have to deal with you (other customers and employees). Pushing, shoving, loving, touching, and squeezing will not get you any further.

2. Buy What You Need: I hate to break it to all of you Black Friday enthusiasts, but all the money you spend buying these gifts is wasted when you go overboard. Did you ever think what you buy might be returned? Or in simpler terms try to understand that you don't need twenty Snuggies when only one will be used, it's just wasteful.

3. Read the Fine Print: If you know what's what, you should know that going out into this madness will yield mixed results. Stores purposely stock the shelves with a low number of items that sell out rather quickly, so if you're looking for something specific you might want to get it online after Black Friday so you can ensure it's in stock.

4. Shop After Black Friday: Now while you might think Black Friday is the only day you get stupid deals, you're wrong. With the addition of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday you can get the same stuff and avoid the headaches associated with Black Friday.

Like I said, I hope this year serves as a wake-up call to those who think Black Friday is the bee's knees of shopping. We are still human (well, most of us anyway) after all and we should desire to be humane and celebrate what the season's really about rather than trying to get $100 watches for $5.