I swore I would not do it. I swore I would not be elbowed and pushed and stand in line for an eternity. Yesterday I swore all these things. But, you know, yesterday’s newspaper had some really good advertisements for really good Christmas presents. We’re only doing stocking stuffers for all us adults. As far as I’m concerned that means gift cards for my sons and brother (Starbucks and Home Depot), but for my DILs and my SIL, I need to find cool stuff. There was a Smarter Image key chain with a digital photo frame. It holds 60 photos and is rechargeable. They all carry around photos of kids and dogs. The price was very cool. . . . and some of those squishy stay-at-home socks.
I have to buy for my granddaughter and for my niece. I’ve been informed that I should just get my niece gift cards because she’s 13 and all of us adults are too nerdy to buy really cool stuff for her. I vote for that! I did buy her two soft long sleeved T-Shirts so I had something in a box to which I could fasten the little dog that holds a gift card. I love shopping for Adrienne. She needs nothing, but is still delighted with everything. Being seven is cool. So I found her a Hannah Montana jacket, and a couple of the long-sleeved soft T-shirts. I’ll also get her a gift card to Learning is Fun. It’s a teacher supply store in which she goes completely crazy.
I thought some of the things I saw happen at the mall were pretty neat. A young woman had collected a lot of presents. While standing in line, she had apparently set her purse on the floor, and when the line moved, she moved, but without her purse. Several moves later someone behind me said, “This is someone’s purse.” I asked the group in front of me, “Did any of you lose your purse?” One of the young women, frantic, said, “I left mine somewhere.” Her purse was passed up the line to her. She tearfully thanked everyone.
An older woman was a couple people behind me in the checkout line. She was shifting around, clearly uncomfortable. She said, to no one in particular, “I really should have gone to the bathroom before I left the house.” The woman behind her said, “Go on. I’ll save your place. Just leave your merchandise.” I told her where the restrooms are in Penneys, and she left. She was back in about twenty minutes (It was a really long line). She returned to her place in line, thanking everyone for looking out for her.
All the shoppers talked about where they had seen bargains and what had been mismarked, and, of course, how crazy they were to come to the store at 4:00 AM. (I went at 8:00, but they were still there.) They talked about what they thought the children would like. Someone passed a percentage-off coupon to a shopper that would save a lot of money by using it.
For the first time in many years, I felt as if there was a spirit of kindness in that line. I felt renewed and — don’t repeat this — I was glad I’d gone shopping on Black Friday.
