Last year, the day after Thanksgiving got off to a strange start.
I woke up at 5 a.m. and drove, sleepily, off to the mall with my then-15 year-old brother. It was my first Black Friday shopping excursion -- and a totally memorable one at that.
While my brother joined the masses at Best Buy, I headed to JCPenney, which was decidedly less chaotic. Still, I remember chuckling to myself at the absurdity of flipping through a $1.97 clearance rack at 6 a.m.
After later meeting up to walk around the mall together, my brother and I laughed over our experiences -- he of the crazed Best Buy folks who waited in seemingly endless lines to purchase big screen TVs; I of the swarms of women who sniffed scent after scent at Bath & Body Works.
Yes, I found some great deals that day, which I'm sure my friends, family and wallet appreciated. However, that day really sticks out in my mind because of the fun I had with my brother -- who, as a teenage boy, isn't usually yearning to hang out with his sister.
It's something to bear in mind when scouring stores for cheap goods this Black Friday. It's always a thrill to get the TV or the video game for a ridiculously low price -- but if you don't take it so seriously, you just might end up enjoying the experience.
Articles about this year's Black Friday, including suggested strategies and precautions, are already being published in newspapers. The economy is down, and more people than ever are looking to score that cheap laptop.
However, it's hard to forget last year's infamous Walmart episode, when an employee in Valley Stream, N.Y. was trampled to death by overly eager, aggressive customers.
Stories like that really put things in perspective. Where are we, as a society, when we lunge for cheap electronics as a starving person might lunge for a loaf of bread? Discounted DVDs and digital cameras clearly aren't worth harming our fellow bargain hunters.
The National Retail Federation, anticipating even more problems this year because of the recession, released its first-ever list of suggestions concerning crowd control, according to The New York Times.
And no doubt in response to last year's tragedy, Walmart has created its own preparations for Black Friday. One part of the plan includes remaining open from 6 a.m. Thursday to Friday evening.
But while these new safety measures look good on paper, that doesn't mean they'll help the situation.
National Retail Federation spokeswoman Ellen Davis told the Times, "No matter how seamless and airtight you think this is, the unexpected can happen."
I'm glad that Walmart and other large retailers are taking such steps to manage crowds, but the fact that we even need to do this is kind of scary.
I realize that some people may rely on the super-low Black Friday prices to afford holiday gifts for everyone on their lists. However, necessity should not breed a lack of civility.
When you think about it, Black Friday is a strange day. It's probably the only time that you'll see crowds of usually civilized people wide awake before dawn and already scavenging at the mall. So it's also a time that requires shoppers to keep their wits about them and remain cool and collected amidst some serious sales.
I hope they can do that. When I hit my local mall next Friday, it would be great if I didn't have to witness the impatience, rudeness and general bad attitudes that so often accompany this day.
Black Friday, after all, is known as the first major shopping day for the holidays, and I normally view the holiday season as a time of generosity and kindness. Shouldn't Black Friday kick off those feelings of goodwill?
