My first Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

That being said, this really isn't my first Thanksgiving. I am kinda old, ya know, so I've been through a few of these. In the days of my youth, it was always a fun time. We didn't have much growing up but there was always food on the table and more love in our home than anyone could imagine. The holidays were times of celebration and fun. With five kids, that's a lot of commotion for two parents to put up with. The opening feast of the holidays was special.

With all those memories, yesterday was truly a first for me on Thanksgiving. What was this first you say? Well, for the first time in my life, I had to work on Thanksgiving Day. Retail has been a good life for me. I've made many friends and met some wonderful people over the years. That being said, I know the retail world and I realized it was just a matter of time before I was forced into this. I was hoping I could put it off for one more year; not to be so.

We opened late, and manged the crush of people. I run a smaller store and really didn't have to put up with the "Walmart" customers. That being said, I feel like I lost part of what makes the holidays special. It is a time of family, and although a small or smaller shop can often feel like a family, shopping isn't what this day should be about. In a business sense, I fully understand why these decisions are made. However, that doesn't mean I have to like it. My day ended late, 3am when I landed home and went back into work at 7pm. Nothing says 'happy holidays' like a bunch of sale signs.

Thirty years of not having to work on this day was a blessing. So sad to see it end. Perhaps some day we will remember what holidays are really supposed to be about. Stores filled with stuff you can buy every other day of the year, shouldn't be one of them.