Black Friday – Write on the World

There’s something grounding about wandering through a local market this time of year — the scents of handmade candles and soaps, the sound of live music, and the tables stacked with handmade goods and books you won’t find in chain stores. It’s a reminder that real people, not algorithms, make and sell the things we love.

Crowds, chaos, and checkout lines—Black Friday madness is in full swing. This holiday season, consider the impact of where you shop.

As prices rise and global supply chains feel the strain of new tariffs, it’s worth thinking about where your money goes. Local artisans, authors, and small-business owners may have inventory they stocked before costs increased, meaning your purchases support both your community and your own budget. I stocked up my pop-up book and gift shop earlier this year and haven’t had to raise my prices yet — a small act of foresight that’s keeping things affordable for my local shoppers.

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It’s that time of year. Once again, Tom Turkey is eclipsed by that one word that seems to be on the lips of everyone I know: Christmas. If you read any current online or print media at all, I’m sure you’ve already noticed the usual holiday how-to headlines this year: “How to keep from gaining weight over the holidays,” “How to avoid stressing out this holiday season.” But if you ask me, the answer to these questions boils down to one, simple, little, teeny-tiny, two-letter word: NO.

First of all, if you really want to avoid the holiday madness, your first assignment is to just say no to the Black Friday-starting-at-midnight craze. This is one of the worst ideas that have ever ripped through retail. I always thought Black Friday (the other two words on everyone’s lips) was stupid anyway, but the past few years, this trend has gotten completely out of hand.

How would you feel if you had to sleep through most of your Thanksgiving Day because you have to be at work by midnight that night to work a 12-hour shift? Would this stress you out? I don’t know about you, but I would be thoroughly pissed.

In case you haven’t already figured this out, Black Friday is manned by an army of thoroughly stressed and pissed off, not to mention underpaid, workers who probably couldn’t afford to take advantage of the so-good-I’d-totally-step-on-your-head-if-you-fell-down-in-front-of-me deals their employers are offering even if they did have the day off. Continue reading “Just say no to holiday madness” →