I still have trouble using the term “Black Friday” to describe the day after Thanksgiving shopping frenzy. Prepending “black” to a day of the week is generally an ominous sign. Black means death in that context. The Black Plague, aka the Black Death, is usually the first thing that comes to mind. And with people being trampled to death, or shooting each other, as with the most recent Black Friday, I think I’ve had enough of this nonsense.
Yesterday, my family and I went out to shop mostly because that’s what everyone else was doing and we had not visited the mall in a couple of years due to the high cost of gasoline. I love getting out and observing people, especially how the demographics have changed over time. Of course I didn’t like having to drive around for half an hour looking for a parking space. But after hearing about the deaths, I’m just disgusted for having been a part of the madness at all. Next year I think we’ll just go to a park or take in a movie rather than be part of any mindless mob.