"No way!"

I did something I've never done before. I went shopping the day after Thanksgiving. And all by myself. At 5 am. Well, I didn't exactly shop as you shall see. My brother in-law told Kelli about a deal Wal-Mart had on "Black Friday". I never heard of that term before this year. Never heard it called "Black Friday" before. Sounds kind of weird to me but that's what they are calling it. Anyway this deal was for a laptop computer for just $198. Seemed pretty cheap to me and we have been wanting one for awhile. So I decided to make the sacrifice and drive down to Rhinelander at 5 am.

Everyone told me how crazy it is the morning after Thanksgiving but, I figured that was more for the big cities and everything. I've never done it before and always kind of laughed about it, how people will do anything to get a good deal.

So I hopped in the truck bright and early, well it wasn't bright at all, at 5 am it is quite dark out. I got out on the highway and was a little surprised at all the traffic going south. I figured they must be early morning commuters. Surely they weren't all going to Rhinelander to "shop". And man they were bugging right along passing each other and everything. Kind of like they were in a hurry or something.

But, I was on a mission I was going to Wal-Mart to get one of those $198 laptops. As I got in to Rhinelander I couldn't believe my eyes. There is a Menards store right at the north edge of town and the parking lot was packed. "No way!" I said right out loud. I looked at the clock and it was 5:15. Seemed surreal. Normally at that time of the morning there is hardly a soul to be seen let alone filling up the parking lot. And there was alot more cars on the road in town.

I honestly thought it would be a cinch to run down to Wal-Mart grab a laptop and get back. I even had a couple other models picked out on the chance the cheapo one was already gone. I knew the sale started at 5 am sharp but, I figured this is northern Wisconsin. No way was it going to be like the stories you hear about in the big cities.

As I made my way to the Wal-Mart I was starting to have my doubts. There were cars every where. I pulled into the parking lot and could not believe my eyes. The place was full up. Not a open spot in site. "No WAY!" I again said, right out loud. I finally found a place to park way out at the outer edge of the lot. People were everywhere. People leaving with carts full and people scurrying on inside. I picked up my pace kind of copying the frenetic pace I was seeing before me. But, I purposely slowed down not wanting to imitate the wild eyed hoards. I was beginning to wonder what I was doing there and I felt foolish for going along with all the other "sheeple".

As I walked through the doors I was stunned. Where there is usually a pile of shopping carts there was none. There were only three carts in front of me and a worker pushed one towards me. I knew right where the laptops were supposed to be because I looked it up online. Wal-Mart had a map of where all their specials were supposed to be.

I managed to worm my way through the masses and find the spots were the computers were supposed to be. I found nothing. I figured I got some bad info on the Net. Finally I found a worker and asked him where they were. He apologized and said they were all gone. He also told me how people had been lined up since 10 and 11 o'clock the night before. I couldn't believe it. It was true. People really did go out in mass and grab up all the "deals".

Needless to say I high tailed it out of there and got back home as soon as possible. I imagined how if they did still have the computers and I did get one it would be who knows how long before I could have gotten through the check out lines and gotten out of there. I wondered how good a deal it would have seemed after that. "No way!" I said to myself yet again. I concluded to myself that it would not be worth it. I don't care what the savings would be. I don't care if it would be a savings of hundreds of dollars. In my mind going through all that just would not be worth it.

As I drove back home that dark morning I pondered the things I had just witnessed. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I wondered what would possess all those people to go out in the wee hours of the morning just to get stuff. What would possess people to camp out over night just to be one of the first ones to get a thing. It makes me afraid. Afraid for my Country and afraid at were humanity is heading. I kept remembering the serious and determined looks on many of the faces I saw. Some were very serious, very determined. Others were having fun. Some were sipping coffee and just leisurely relishing the moment. You could tell they were having fun.

Both extremes gave me the creeps. I felt sick at myself for participating in it. What is wrong with people who will go to such extreme lengths for stuff. For junk really. In my work I see all that junk getting tossed eventually. And it doesn't take that long. I throw stuff away that looks perfectly fine on the outside. Some of it still works. Some of it doesn't. The fact that people will camp out over night for it just blows me away.

I shuddered to think of what could happen if the food supply or the like is ever disrupted. If people get trampled to death for meaningless junk what will happen when survival itself is at stake. If this economy ever really does totally tank like alot of folks say it might, things could get very ugly. Extremely ugly.

It makes me all the more sure that people need to be figuring out away right now how to get food. Take some precautions now and do some stock up. Plan a garden. Raise some chickens. If nothing happens you just eat. Big deal. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Until Next Time