Dear Black Friday,
Why are you here already? It’s not that I don’t like you or what you represent, but you’re just so pushy. I haven’t even unloaded the Thanksgiving dishes from my dishwasher and you’re sending me emails. I think maybe we need to talk?
It’s not that I’m ungrateful for what you bring to the table. I love a deal. Buying something on a sale, speaks to my soul. But, I feel like our relationship has changed a bit in recent years. Let’s be honest, you’ve changed. We started out on the same page, we both just wanted to get a start on our Christmas shopping. It was fun, it was mutually beneficial. We both got something out of the relationship. But, that wasn’t enough for you. You were looking for more.
You pushed. You started moving into Thanksgiving. I don’t know if you were jealous of our relationship? But, you definitely crossed some lines. You also started to exaggerate. I feel like you’re tricking me a little. You used to offer some sales, but now you create this urgency that anything I don’t buy today will either be gone or twice the price. There are so many “sales” and one-day deals that I find myself sucked into the retail vortex. I’m buying an air fryer for my 96 year-old grandmother who doesn’t cook because it was 75% off. I’m trying to find recipients for the strangest of gadgets and gizmos so I can feel good about putting them in my cart. This isn’t how it was in the beginning.
And, let’s be clear, when I say “cart” I’m speaking of my virtual cart. There is NO way that I’d ever step foot in a retail establishment on Black Friday. That’s the other thing–we used to have a personal relationship. Back in the day, we’d spend time together. I’d show up at your place, you’d help me get in the Christmas spirit with your decorations and festive attire, and then you’d save me a little money. It was so simple when we started out. What happened to us?
Now, I feel like I almost can’t be around you. You’ve been so busy trying to attract more and more people that I don’t really feel like I fit in with your new friends. I guess what I’m trying to say is that maybe it’s time that we moved on? It’s not that I don’t want to see you ever again, I just can’t take the intensity you bring to our relationship.
I wish the best for you. I’ll continue to check in with you from time to time. I just can’t be intimately involved with you. I know you’ll be ok. You’re surrounded by people that love you and want to be with you. So, thank you for all you’ve done for me, Black Friday. I’ll always appreciate what we had. I’ll always think of you fondly. We’re just moving in different directions. Not to sound like too much of a cliché, but I think we can both take comfort in knowing: it’s not me, it’s you.
Xoxo,
Julie