black friday
Okay, I think slowly, but surely, I can re-enter the habit of blogging on a regular basis. Or, at least, a semi-regular basis. I can have the most well meaning intentions and carefully laid plans for a day, but just like that, they're swept away and left as vague and nebulous nagging ideas in the back of my mind. Take today for instance.
It's the day after Thanksgiving, and I did the unthinkable. I went shopping, to the mall, with my family. I'm not much of a shopper, and I am also not one for large crowds, and so you can imagine that going out today was something like a nightmare. But, I hardly ever spend an entire day with my mom, her husband, and my sister, and since they were crazy enough to brave the crowds, I sucked up my loathing for "Black Friday," told myself I'd finish some freelance work and compiling wedding invitation addresses later this weekend, and went along.
After that dizzy, "I'm-surrounded-by-the-hounds-of-hell" otherwise known as middle-aged mammas on the hunt for that 50% off sale at Aeropostale feeling subsided, I actually started to enjoy myself. Sure, I'm being jostled every other step I take, sure my sister is giggling (at me, not with me) as I drag her into Victoria's Secret, sure I ate too much last night and my stomach is reminding me of the ramifications of pigging out on too many desserts...but I am happy to participate in all this uniquely American madness. I don't know why. It would be nice to, you know, rally against our materialistic, consumer-driven existences, living as some of the most "entitled" (i.e. clueless, arrogant, etc.) people around, but I'm finding that I don't want to.
So I let the retail gods have their way with me. Does that make me a bad person?
On a completely different note, Sarah, if you're reading, I have slowly started a scrapbooking habit. I didn't realize how much fun it was! I haven't been doing much creative writing lately, and so this is such a great creative outlet and a stress reliever. It's awesome. Should've started months ago.
I just had a thought...maybe I actually enjoyed black friday this year because I wasn't behind a Starbucks counter staring into the enormous line of caffeine deprived shoppers waiting for their fix. That consolation alone was probably subconsciously driving me to an unbeknownst gratitude.
Yeah, being amongst the hounds of hell is one thing. Serving them is another.
posted by Jasmin @ 7:47 PM
4 Comments:
Hadn't really considered it in that way...I think we still do have a sense of religion inherent in our culture, but just radically transformed. The media are our high priests, the retail stores our gods, the money our sacrifice which we humbly bring to the counter...the experience of the holy in our midsts as the transaction is made, the covenant renewed for another year.
Good to hear that your pagan revelry went so well, and I hope the retail gods blessed y'all's endeavor. :) And I won't ask what you got at Victoria's Secret...auf Wiedersehen!
Isn't that a John Milton quote? "Better to go shopping in hell than serve in starbucks?" (Or something like that?)
By the way, Waldenbooks is usually my purgatory! :)
Ahhh. Shopping + Not Working = Happy.
Sorry, I got all caught up in a dream of shopping and forgot to mention....
So glad you are scrapping! It's a killer hobby. A great way to tell a story.
I'll give you some fun links for ideas any time!!!!
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