We Are Unique

We are thankful we will shop with our family this weekend. To be honest, we are super excited! See, we have a different perspective, and decision on the matter.
We know many are hot-to-trot over this coming weekend, and shopping. Some are appalled, while others are boycotting. To us, it has a deeper meaning.

(Let us begin) We have not seen our family in over eighteen months, as we do not live close to them. Our parents, nor any family are getting any younger. In fact, sickness has plagued our family for over a year.
That being said, for eleven short days, memories will rule. We are not only going to fill those days with the past eighteen months, we are going to stuff them with the upcoming departed months, and years. Our total vacation time will be 14,580 minutes, or 243 hours. That is a flash in life’s scene.

This perception flows even deeper. So what makes working on Thanksgiving any different than a birthday, or a wedding? Before the darts are thrown, yes, we have worked on all three of those days. Honestly, we worked on even more precious holidays (for us); those being Christmas, and Easter.
In working any holiday, we learned something. Generally, not only is hourly pay given, but holiday pay is rewarded. So instead of making $9/hour, we made $18/hour for those days (Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas). Pre tax, that is $72 extra on our paycheck. That money helped pay our bills. For that, we were thankful.

Now, back to the issue at hand. Folks are fussing, and boycotting these shopping sales. We know, from experience, people get out of hand, but there is more to the story. Once there was a woman with her cart filled by nearly fifty bath towels. Another woman’s reason for being there was to purchase only two of those towels on sale. Surely, the first woman had no need for all those towels. The second woman never could muster enough courage to ask the other woman for just one of them. However, in that same night, the second woman got a sewing machine, and bakeware at a great price. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Those fifty towels? Some were given as Christmas presents, but most were donated to the local homeless shelter. The sewing machine, and bakeware? They were used for fundraisers to help the homeless, and for overseas missions.

So, what have we learned?
Shopping is a great bonding time for families. It may be the only chance they have to be together throughout the year, or years. No, it will not make up for lost time, but it will create new memories.
For the ones working, we know holidays are most often rewarded with extra pay. Who is going to fuss about getting extra greenbacks to help pay bills? A blue collar company will not work an employee all of Thanksgiving. Why not have breakfast as a family, or eat around the work hours? Are we so set in our ways that we cannot change our schedule? But, wait. There is one point we have not mentioned on point number two. Have we forgotten about the filling station attendants, hotel clerks, nurses, policemen, and firefighters? They work non-standard, but essential hours to service others.
Our last point shows how good becomes from these shopping days. Those women used their purchases for the benefit of others. Not everyone is greedy, and selfish. At the same time, we should not make assumptions about how, or why people chose to shop when, or where they do.

Our final thought on this subject. We are entitled to be unique, and one-of-a-kind. We should allow others to have the same freedom.