This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Shopping Mecca--Or Not

To shop or not to shop, that is the question

Black Friday?  Cyber Monday?  Not a real big fan.  I kinda like shopping.  It's nice to get a good deal when you are looking for something that you need.  I enjoy strolling through the mall, but I have to admit, the older I get, the less likely it will be to find me spending my free time window shopping and looking for deals. I tend to be the person who buys something when it wears out or if I run out of something that I use all the time.

I also find it a little bit sad that many of the retailers are also opening up their doors on Thanksgiving Day as well to entice people to get started even earlier.  One of the things that I really love about Thanksgiving is that it's harder to commercialize it.  Most of the time family members don't have to work that day, and it's hard for it to be nothing more than gathering together with family and friends to share a great meal.  Which also happens to be one of my favorite things to do anyway.  So, having a bigger meal to spoil the friends and family and just spend the day enjoying each other's company, what's not to like?  Working on Thanksgiving, of course.

There are certain professions that never turn the lights off, understandably.  Several of my relatives are in the healthcare field and unfortunately often need to spend one holiday or another working.  It sucks, but at least I can understand that there is a real need for it. But in retail?  Not so much.  I've worked many a holiday in my years past in hospitality/retail, and I can tell you working on holidays are not fun.  I can remember a customer saying how wonderful it was that we were open, and how it was probably fun for me to work that day--that little phrase actually made my eyes well up--are you kidding, what on earth makes you think that I'd actually want to be here lady?  So retailers, I wish you'd give your employees a break and not worry so much about what you have to gain by being open on some of these holidays that employees should be spending with family and friends.  I can only imagine that the more that people patronize these places on holidays, the more they are likely to open.  So my message to you:  Stay home!  These people need to spend some time with their families too!

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The day after Thanksgiving, I'm trawling on my FB and looking at all the updates with folks that were battling the crowds in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday, and I'm thinking to myself, shit, I'm glad I was tossin some ZZZZZZZs from my cozy, warm bed instead. I'm more than glad that I was not standing in line for 2 hours, battling all the other shoppers for a primo parking space or schlepping back a mocha grande so that I don't fall head first asleep into my purchases.  I am just not seeing the joy that goes along with all that Black Friday madness.

Now Cyber Monday, that has a little bit more appeal.  I don't do all of my shopping on line by any means, but I have to admit, it can be awfully convenient to find something that you are looking for, and have it shipped directly to your door.  Bonus points if you find a coupon code that will cover the shipping or appeal in some other way that will discount the purchasing scales in your favor.

Find out what's happening in Herndonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But dang it all, I thought I'd do some shopping online today since there is something that Target is offering only online and not in stores.  Don't you know that when am trying to shop for more items to get that total up to 50 bucks and score free shipping, the website stays hung on the first page of items and I can't scour their website for other items.  Ok.  Fine. I'll just purchase what I want and not worry about getting free shipping.  Not so fast.  Every time I click on my shopping cart to try and check out, an error message pops up.  Seriously??  Target IT geeks: IT IS CYBER MONDAY AND YOUR WEBSITE IS NOT WORKING??? Helllllllooooooo.

So, the love is a little bit lost on Cyber Monday so far.  I keep hearing that people have been scoring some sweet deals, but I'm just not there yet.  My kids are also at the tweeny age where they don't really want to play with toys or games so much.  Not so enamored with clothes yet.  So, I do not really have many ideas yet as to what I want to even get them.   Don't even let me think about my husband.  He's the kind of guy that when he wants something, he just buys it for himself.  There's not too much that he needs that he doesn't have, so buying something for him that is a nice surprise is always a challenge.

So, I guess I'll just have to procrastinate and buy stuff when I'm good and ready just like in years previous.  Maybe I'll see ya at the mall....

Barb Welsh has lived in Herndon for about 12 years and has two sons aged 9 and 11. She is a member of the Herndon Patch Mom's Council and regularly blogs at www.obsessmuch.com

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?