“Whenever you go out-of-doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high, and fill the lungs to the utmost; drink in the sunshine; greet your friends with a smile, and put soul into every handclasp…”
Elbert Hubbard
(Killarney National Park, The Ring of Kerry, County Kerry, Ireland / Julie Cook / 2015)
Most of you know I’m not a participant with this whole social media business…
This little blog being my sole contribution…
And whereas I am not a big fan of this global obsession, I was however taken aback recently by something that quickly caught my eye…
Most of you know that I also despise this whole “black friday” materialistic consumerism fanatical obsession business that is sadly indicative of our country’s “gotta see it, gotta have it” shopping and gathering addiction—a time when “normal” folks turn into “zombiesque” crazy people who think standing in long lines, pushing and shoving at the crack of dawn, or the wee hours of the night, while waiting to “get a deal” which if the truth be told is really no deal at all as you should begin to consider the mark up of everything you want….is the quintessential good time idea of Thanksgiving….
Somewhere along the line someone has fed us all a crock of crap trying to tie in manic behavior with a day that was originally set aside for all of us Americans to remember what it is that we are truly thankful for….
enter the tweet—- #OPTOUTSIDE
REI, a national outdoor enthusiast shopping haven has taken a bold step this “black” Friday and I for one applaud them wholeheartedly.
This large-scale retail business type company, who would normally be setting up their door-busters, their markdowns, their sale items, their on-line cyber sales, their sea of employees hired to handle the onslaught of shoppers… yada yada yada…., are closing all their stores nationwide Friday with the hashtag line of “opt outside”
The gist being—they are encouraging everyone to stop the madness—
Rather than heading out for hours on end, shopping till you drop, thinking you have to have these items for survival, thinking that you’re saving and beating the markup game, leaving friends and loved ones in your wake as the dust flies off your wheels as you race out of the house to the mall…spending countless hours caught in traffic, spending money you really shouldn’t waste, circling like a buzzard in search of parking, lingering in lines for hours with folks who will quickly push and shove you out of their way…are instead encouraging everyone to head outside to the great out of doors in order to try something new and novel—-enjoying being outside.
You remember–fresh air, Mother Nature, up, out and moving…
May we all consider what is our true priority this holiday season…
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
Not only is REI giving all their employees the day off today – so they can enjoy the out-of-doors, they are giving them a PAID day off. One more reason that I am proud to be a member.
me too
Good to know! That’s awesome ☺
I’m so with you on this Julie. I’m not a fan of shopping anyway, but this black Friday stuff is just a mystery to me. The Friday after Thanksgiving to me was always a day to prepare for the coming advent season, starting to set up Christmas decorations, get steeped in some of the traditional things of the season, but never forgetting why we celebrate this day in the first place – the best gift of all and it doesn’t cost a penny.
Amen Kathy–I’m totally with you—all about the holiday, the reason why we actually do what we do—as in the Birth of Our Savior—NOT the gathering of stuff!!!
Here’s to decorating, preparing, reflecting to and for Christmas, here’s to Christmas with the emphasis being on CHRIST!! 🙂
What an awesome idea!!!!
I don’t like crowds and I’m allergic to crazy people so Black Friday has never interested me. I rather shop online anyway. As for the deals? I pay close attention to what stuff costs throughout the year since I’m on a tight budget and those ‘sales’ aren’t really deals if one has to factor in all the hours spent trying to get the items, the gas spent circling to find parking, or the money spent on a taxi to ‘shlep’ the items home if one doesn’t drive. Those factors are not considered a deal for me especially when amazon delivers free to my door (amazon prime member) !
So here’s to opting out of the madness. Have a peaceful weekend!
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging and commented:
Count me in to be outside! 🙂
–like a buzzard circling for parking–
Ha. At least the birds have a good reason to circle. 😉
🙂
Oops, today was the first time in my 73 years of life that I went shopping on “Black” Friday. I was pleasantly surprised to find the store was almost empty, and the printer cartridge I wanted was there, but not marked down, naturally, but other items I have on my list of items needed for the gifts I am making were marked down all over town, and the store I visited honors all store ads, so I obtained all the necessary items to finish all my crafting for the year, and get a good start on next year. Hugs, A.
That’s perfectly great Angie–going out like it’s just another day—no crazy folks lined up ready to knock you out of your chair as they make their way to the things you want with little to no regard to others around them—the shopping part is fine–it’s the selfish irrational madness of gotta have it, gotta get it at all costs which irks the stew out of me—I’m happy you found what you needed—and whereas I wasn’t exactly out doing any sort of hiking etc—I was outside all day putting up lights and moving fall out while ushering in Christmas 🙂
Hugs to Kentucky from Georgia —julie
Amen and amen!!! I hate crowds and the madness of it all. I’m so glad that REI is taking a step in the right direction and hope that others follow suit if not this year than next. Like some of your other commenters here, I do most of my shopping online these days. Love and hugs, N 🙂 ❤
PS. The other insane thing is these people who don’t believe in God or Jesus and yet they go spend a fortune on celebrating at Christmas. What the heck do they think it’s all about if not about Christ??? And why if they, and some do, have such a disdane for Christians and their beliefs, why would they celebrate Christmas???