Topic Tuesday- run away! flee from the horrid stores and the crazy crowds

Stores opening on Thanksgiving this year. What do you think about it? Did you partake? How does consumerism effect your holiday?

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On one hand, I find the consumerism of "Black Friday" disgusting; however as a woman who has depended on a spouse's paycheck who didn't mind working on crazy days like it, I've appreciated when working that day meant a slightly larger check. This Black Friday, with my Master having just been laid off, yeah, we were even less in the mood or the position to do anything for this shopping debacle. Then there's my Master having anxiety issues with crowds- especially stupid, senseless crowds like those that form around these sales. I find the people who set up tents and such around stores to be thoroughly repugnant. We did go out- I forgot to where (Walmart, Meijer, something like that)- but the goal was cola to go in Master's rum. This was long after the crowds were dissipated. We didn't buy anything for Small Business Saturday (as much as we might have liked to) or Cyber Monday.

I also didn't go crazy with the menu for Thanksgiving; it was just Master and myself however, and my step-daughter for awhile later. As Master only like white meat of the turkey, I suggested a pot roast. After looking over the pieces of meat, He picked a pot roast kit that was more economical. The rest of the food, sides if you're not a vegan like me, I made mostly from scratch (with the exception of happily including french fried onions.)

Consumerism isn't too bad with Thanksgiving, but it does pick up for Christmas. Religiously speaking, Chalica is it for me. A newer created holiday for Unitarian Universalists, that's the one that's meaningful for me. Like today is for the second principle: "justice, equity, and compassion in human relations." I'm still figuring out what I might do in recognition of this principle. Christmas however is more complex. In my immediate family, we're all somewhere on the continuum between atheist and agnostic- no Christians here. I'm not sure if my Master will even be in the mood to do a tree; last year we didn't because He was so stressed and tired. The day itself, in years past, has meant driving 2.5 hours, knowing my hateful mother would be at the end of the drive. There's lots of food (most of it I won't be able to eat because the majority of the time, my mother a) refuses to ask what might be vegan, make/buy anything vegan or b) let me provide a vegan dish that the family might enjoy. There're tons of gifts- yes, consumerism at its finest. There'll be a check from my grandma, who will be rude to my mother if I don't send a thank you note even though I've said thank you in person. Considering the total lack of empathy when I told my parents about my Master's laying off, I'm tempted to say "fuck no" to the orgy of consumerism this year. Just we can really use the money this year.