The Price You Pay

Right here on this spot I have bemoaned the state of commerce in these United States, when retailers feel compelled to keep their doors open to lure any an all potential shoppers into their brick and mortar lairs. We have taken to referring to this as "Black Friday," which is ridiculous for a fistful of reasons, not the least of which it has very little to do with a particular day. The idea that there was something magical about that day after Thanksgiving when the deepest and most insane discounts would be available for this limited window of time, well, it's not real.
Not when I am getting emails in September urging me to take advantage of Black Friday savings now! Maybe this a tribute to the Black Friday of 1869, that was caused by a pair of gold speculators who wanted to corner the market after the Civil War. This caused a panic that echoed through Wall Street and put the country's economy in a tailspin for months afterward. No flat screen televisions were bought or sold during this period.
Perhaps this is some kind of homage to the late Walter Becker, who plays an amazing solo in the midst of the Steely Dan track about greed and fear. Walter passed away in September. Coincidence? Maybe.
Most likely, the name of that day derives from the hope shop owners harbor that this one day, or in this case months, exists to drive all that red ink out of the ledgers. You've got a warehouse full of carrot peelers that aren't moving? Just wait until Black Friday. Knock the price down to just a little over wholesale and get rid of them once and for all.
And you don't even have to have your doors open and a staff of eager salesfolk at the ready to make all of those shopping dreams come true. Competition has made it possible for us all to experience those same savings on Al Gore's Internet. Best of all, you don't have to camp out for days in advance or show up outside your favorite store at dawn, foaming at the mouth, to enjoy this retail frenzy. It's going on now. Stay in bed and order that carrot peeler from you smart phone.
And yes, I know that my son's paycheck will experience a bounce of some generous proportion because of his willingness to put himself on that front line. He will be standing there when the doors crash open and the last best assault on holiday savings begins. Or ends. Will it interfere with our traditional Thanksgiving routine? Yes it will. I suppose the good news is that I know my son will be available online most every other day.
It's the price we pay.