Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Fri, Nov 24 2006
Thanksgiving: Societal rituals gone mad
I hope everyone had a reasonable Thanksgiving Day. Our local police scanners were full of domestic dispute calls and strange high speed pursuits, and after some of the things I heard about I'm thinking that spending the holiday with some families should include full riot gear and a well-planned escape route. I love the idea of Thanksgiving itself, but the holiday has never been one of my favorites. The pressures seem to bring out the worst in a lot of people, though all that is blessedly balanced out with volunteerism and generosity on the part of many.
Now we're in the midst of Black Friday. As with Thanksgiving dinner, shopping today should probably include full riot gear and a well-planned escape route. My spouse and I are both working, which has actually been rather comforting to look forward to when one considers certain mercenary alternatives. Some years I decided I finally wanted to experience the Friday-after-Thanksgiving sales, so I roamed a crowded mall and did fairly well until it was time for Santa to arrive. We all made way for the mini-parade to pass, and just when I thought it was safe to step from the shelter of a shop doorway I was nearly mowed down by at least 30 women running past me, all pushing children in those spindly, foldable strollers that could double as umbrellas (or weapons) if brandished overhead. Some of the children were actually gripping the sides of their little vehicles in fear of being tipped out onto the floor and trampled. I froze in place until the mad dash was over, then looked both ways and walked to the opposite end of the mall. Santa and his helpers weren't so lucky. I looked back to see them corraled in the mall's central gazebo, surrounded like wounded buffalo on a high plains evening, with a ring of hungry eyes watching and waiting. I hope Santa made a potty stop before he seated himself, because those women were not about to let him leave until he held their children and they got that souvenir photo.
Thanksgiving week is just plain scary—unless you happen to like leftovers.
posted at: 11:26 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
I hope everyone had a reasonable Thanksgiving Day. Our local police scanners were full of domestic dispute calls and strange high speed pursuits, and after some of the things I heard about I'm thinking that spending the holiday with some families should include full riot gear and a well-planned escape route. I love the idea of Thanksgiving itself, but the holiday has never been one of my favorites. The pressures seem to bring out the worst in a lot of people, though all that is blessedly balanced out with volunteerism and generosity on the part of many.
Now we're in the midst of Black Friday. As with Thanksgiving dinner, shopping today should probably include full riot gear and a well-planned escape route. My spouse and I are both working, which has actually been rather comforting to look forward to when one considers certain mercenary alternatives. Some years I decided I finally wanted to experience the Friday-after-Thanksgiving sales, so I roamed a crowded mall and did fairly well until it was time for Santa to arrive. We all made way for the mini-parade to pass, and just when I thought it was safe to step from the shelter of a shop doorway I was nearly mowed down by at least 30 women running past me, all pushing children in those spindly, foldable strollers that could double as umbrellas (or weapons) if brandished overhead. Some of the children were actually gripping the sides of their little vehicles in fear of being tipped out onto the floor and trampled. I froze in place until the mad dash was over, then looked both ways and walked to the opposite end of the mall. Santa and his helpers weren't so lucky. I looked back to see them corraled in the mall's central gazebo, surrounded like wounded buffalo on a high plains evening, with a ring of hungry eyes watching and waiting. I hope Santa made a potty stop before he seated himself, because those women were not about to let him leave until he held their children and they got that souvenir photo.
Thanksgiving week is just plain scary—unless you happen to like leftovers.
posted at: 11:26 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
