I got up at 5:30 this morning, Black Friday, because I had to work. I didn’t mind, really, because I don’t believe being able to buy a DVD at $1.99 is worth the fighting and the pushing and the air of Bitch permeating the air. By the time I pulled up to the office, the local news was running. Police had been called to a fight over line-positioning at the local home improvement store as well as to break up a fight in the toy aisle at the Crazy Loving Wally World, in which there was supposedly an arrest as a result.
How would you like to make that phone call? “Honey, could you please bail me out? Bail is $200…BUT I SAVED $5.00 ON SUZIE’S DOLL HOUSE! *brief pause* Whadya mean this is the last Black Friday for me?! I will SO cut you when I get home!!”
When I got off work sometime after 2:00, I did venture into the local Tarjay. I think it’s fun to be OVERLY polite as I try to manipulate the too narrow aisles with my empty cart. “Pardon me, please. May I get by?” “Excuse me…I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bump you.” “Sorry to bother you, but do you see another whateverthatwas on that shelf by you?”
My cheery smile and charming disposition is probably like a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade for those shoppers who had already been up for 12 hours. Frankly, I also like to dispel the current belief that civility has died. It wasn’t too long ago that I saw a news story on how people have forgotten how to say please and thank you and especially you’re welcome. We have become more rude, more selfish with our smiles; but even I can sometimes flash a toothy smile. And if *I* can, you really have no excuse, now do you?
Punch Drunk 