Black Friday Hooplah

            Black Friday. In my mind it only strikes an image of greed and consumerism. It's not something to be celebrated but toned down. I believe that people get too caught up in all of the hype and forget the name of the day that precedes Black Friday: Thanksgiving. I think that all black Friday shoppers should take a step back and be thankful for what they have already. If people did that more often, I think that workers and consumers alike would cease to be trampled to death over a few good deals. I know that since the economy is bad, shopping for deals is even more important now. However, I don't think that justifies trampling someone else just to get that $500 TV.   

            It's interesting to see how materialistic our society is. Black Friday just exemplifies the fact that we, as Americans, value "stuff" over anything else. Since Black Friday is supposed to be the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, it's informally the beginning of the Christmas season itself. It's saddening to see that supposedly, this materialism is the meaning of the  holiday season. I thought that the holiday season was supposed to be about helping others, giving without receiving, family, and loved ones. 

            Whatever happened to the "Christmas Spirit"? Does being full of said spirit really mean going out and frantically shoving others out of your way in order to get the best deals on things? Frank Capra's movie so accurately states You Can't Take It With You, so why do we obsess over these material goods? I wish I could challenge everyone to give their time instead of gifts. In this hustle and bustle way of life, it's so easy to not want to waste time on something, but spending time with someone or volunteering your time could be a good way to make someone else (and maybe even yourself) a little happier.