I've always wondered why people would subject themselves to Black Friday. The name itself makes it seem so bleak. Why would you stand in line for hours, knowing that you may not even have a chance at what you wanted? Why would you lose precious hours of sleep for a single sale? Why would you want to be in such close proximity to so many strangers? Why, Why, WHY?!?
In the past, I've heard horror stories of consumer stampedes, and stolen wallets, and jail time over a Tickle Me Elmo. I have even had the bad luck of working in the electronics department of a WalMart on a Black Friday, and let me tell you, it's as though these folks fall into that wonderful turkey coma on a wonderful Thursday afternoon, and wake up as thoughtless, careless zombies in search for brains 50% off. I swore to myself, "Never will I be one of those mindless shoppers. Never!"
This year was a different story.
I don't know what sparked my curiosity this holiday season. I was sitting at the computer one night racking my brain about what kind of camcorder I should get my hubby for Christmas. What were the good features? What was a good price? Was there really a better brand? Would he like what I picked? I was about to give up when the thought crossed my mind... Black Friday. That is how I would get a camcorder. I would find one that was on sale, and I would cross my fingers and hope for the best. Neither of us know very much about camcorders. I had prodded John for the features that he wanted, and he really didn't know. All we knew was we wanted a decent way to catch some of our sons developmental moments. I couldn't really go wrong right? If we weren't looking for a specific feature, or brand, I would set a price, and find something within that range.
I decided that I didn't want to spend more than $200 on a camcorder. I had done some digging and found that I could get a decent product for around that price. I thought about it some more and decided if I could get one at a normal price for $200 I should change my criteria. I would not spend more than $150 if I was going to go out and face the crowds. I poured through local adds, and finally I found the camcorder I wanted. It was only $119, and it had great reviews. It was user friendly which was a plus for us newbies. There was a down side. I would have to brave the crowds at WalMart. I was dreading this.
I finally convinced myself that it was worth it. I decided that if I was going to go out in search of this camcorder, that I was at least going to have a couple of things on my list, that way even if I didn't get the camcorder, I could walk away without feeling as though I failed.
After dinner at my sister's house, we headed to Wally World. When we got there, it was a zoo. There were people everywhere. John and I decided that the best plan would be for me to go in and start shopping, while he took the baby home, and came back with the other brave shoppers in the family. As I made it into the store, I realized just how crazy this was. There were zero carts for me to use. They had all been claimed already. I could deal with that though. I set out to find the first set of items on my list. it was only eight o clock, and my camcorder would not be available until ten. I found everything on my list except for towels. Who knew they would be such a hot item? I had a problem though... I could not carry all of the merchandise that I wanted without a cart, and there were still no free carts to be found.
I had an idea. I went into the home organization department and found a storage tote. I filled my tote and carried it throughout the store. It quickly got heavy. I stopped for a moment and set it down. As I looked around, a mother and her two teenage daughters were looking around, planning their assault on the store. We made eye contact and she smiled. "Why are we doing this?" I asked.
"I don't know, but I do it every year."
At this point, I was starting to understand the rush that people get from this massive sale. "All I want now is a cart."
She laughed, "If I see an extra one, I'll let you know."
Her daughters smiled, and I went on my way.
A few minutes later, as I was debating whether or not a memory foam bath mat would fit into my tote, I heard from behind me, "Hey... Tote-Girl."
There is was my holiday shopping alias. Surely nobody else would be referred to as "Tote-Girl." I turned, and there were the two teenage girls I had parted with moments earlier. "We found you a cart," they explained with smiles and kind eyes. "Someone just left it in the aisle, and we grabbed it for you."
What angels! It was a Black Friday miracle! Who knew that you could witness kindness from a stranger in a WalMart on one of the biggest sale days of the year? I was astonished. "This made my night," I told them. They smiled again and were on their way.
So with my cart, I set out to find the line for my camcorder. I found it, and as I settled into a nice little spot for it, John called. He was back and was ready to stand somewhere to get something. Naturally, I made him stand in line for his Christmas present, and I went to search for the memory cards to go with it.
All in all, aside form the towels... we got it all, and it was a NOT so black Friday thanks to a couple of teenage miracle workers.
