Black Friday musings...

Do you do Black Friday? I do. And I enjoy it. Immensely. I LOVE pouring through the ads, creating a strategy. Which store do I hit first? What's most important to get? It's a challenge. I grew up around Black Friday. My grandma was a pro. She was a petite, unassuming woman who could worm her way to the front of a line lickety split. This was all without anyone realizing what had occured. Of course, things are different now & I'm not sure she could pull that off in today's world, but she was Queen in the 80s! I remember as a child watching my mom, aunt, & grandma develop their Black Friday strategy, scour the ads, & find the best deals on the things we had to have. I always wanted to go. I begged. But, of course, since they were shopping for me I couldn't go. And it made me want to go all the more. The get up before the sun rose. To stand in the cold, chattering amongst ourselves, having the times of our lives.

Now it's my turn. Unfortunately I don't get to share that with my mom. Medically she's just not able to 'do' Black Friday anymore. And my sister never was into the whole Black Friday thing - even when we were on speaking terms. My closest friend moved over a year ago, so it's just me. Last year, in 2007, mom was recovering from her broken ankle/knee & she wasn't at home to watch Matthew, so he became my unwitting Black Friday accomplice. I wasn't sure if he'd enjoy it, but boy, I didn't expect his reaction. He absolutely adored getting up 'in the middle of the night'. He thought it was a hoot. A complete adventure. He had such a good time being my Black Friday helper that he made me promise that we could do it every year. And so I have my Black Friday buddy. Sure, he's unconventional. Did I ever think I'd enjoy going for deals with my 9 year old son? No. But he's a good buddy. Very entertaining. We enjoyed the time together spent in line - talking, laughing, just enjoying one another's company. He never complained. Not once. He's the ultimate buddy!

Black Friday is now our tradition, Matthew's & mine. And I look forward to many early mornings in the future!