I decided to go to Shopko in our smallish town at 6:00 a.m. The prize was a set of three artificial pine trees standing 3, 4 and 5 feet tall for some amazingly low price I have now forgotten. I had spotted them in the sale flyer and decided I NEEDED them. I pulled into the parking lot at 6:00 a.m. sharp. I didn't think it would be a huge crowd, it's just River Falls for pete's sake! There was a crowd of people walking in the doors when I parked my car near the end of the aisle as the lot was almost full. I should've left right then. But I "needed" that set of three artificial pine trees standing 3, 4 and 5 feet tall! My three trees from the orient (made in China I'm sure). I joined the crowd. My frustration level rose immediately with people pausing and looking in the aisles. I needed to get to the middle back of the store to the Christmas decorations! I silently screamed in my head 1000 times "get out of my way!" I wondered if people could see the craze in my eyes. My need to get to the back of the store as quick as possible and they were in the way!
It took an amazingly long time to get to the holiday department. When I finally arrived, face warm and flushed with raised blood pressure, I spotted the display. There was a Shopko associate standing near the three pine trees from China. The display trees only, no boxes. Sold out already. I walked up and got a closer look at the three remaining display trees just in case the associate would find the box in back and let me take them home for the amazingly low price. But once I got up and looked at them, they were the ugliest things I had ever seen. What was I thinking? Damn. All this fuss and I didn't even want them. My blood pressure dropped immediately and I started to see the humor in it all. My trip out of the store took just as long even with empty hands. But it was a more enjoyable trip as I did some people watching on the way out. I had a grin on my face all the way to the exit. I said to myself "never again."
2 comments:
I understand the "Never Again" sentiment.
i remember working at montgomery wards on black friday. As an employee, I was required to be there an hour before opening, so I had to be there at 5:00 am. there were people already lined up, begging me to let them in when I went in. once the doors opened, it was like a tide of humans. we ran out of Razor scooters and $100 TVs in 20 minutes. One of my co-workers got elbowed in the face, while standing near the pile of tv's, trying to keep the peace. that's when I had my "never again" black friday moment.
This little story makes me Ho-ho-ho! Shopping for ANYTHING is not my idea of great times. I usually end up wandering the aisles closer to the main event. A word of caution: Don't shop on Christmas Eve day either... just trust me on that one.
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