Chapter 11: "You're not your fucking khakis" - Black Friday Reflections

This might be my least favorite day of the year.  Thank God I'm Canadian.

Despite that, I'll go ahead and say that it is. Least favorite.

Black Friday. I just spent 30 minutes sifting through Black Friday videos on YouTube. I can honestly say I haven't been this angry in a long time. But, I did it to myself. I've angried up my own blood. It's my own fault.

Everything I hate, condensed into one magical day. Celebrated by some, mocked by others, and known by all.

I don't remember it being like this, when I was a kid. I don't remember hearing about people using pepper-spray when they wanted to purchase the Super Nintendo Entertainment System for their children. I guess Xboxes are just that much better:

I don't remember it being okay to trample an elderly Wal-Mart greeter because you need to get a half-price bigscreen TV:

I don't remember lining up with my friends outside a retail store, screaming my head off, and rampaging through a store like a Walking Dead Walker, hellbent on purchasing crap that none of us need for cheap cheap cheap! It's the most! wonderful time! of the year:

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I could propose ideas about why people do it, but I won't. I'm no psychologist.

I could condemn and mock the people that do it, but I won't. I'm no better than any of those people.

I could stand on my soapbox and proclaim that we, as a species, are nothing more than cannibalistic consumers, hypnotized by a capitalistic consumer culture.

but I won't. I'm in the minority, here.

Everybody's gotta have the new iPad, the new Tablet, the new video game system, the newest, biggest, freshest, most hip, most exclusive, most innovative, most impressive, most ___________ product on the market, because if you don't, then apparently you aren't worth anything.

No.

You're not defined by what you own, what you purchase, what's in your wallet, what's in your room, what's on your wall, or what's in your house. 

Sound familiar?

You're not your fucking khakis.

Happy Black Friday, everyone.

                                             -NxB