Reflection on Thanksgiving and Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day '08

After the conversation we had in class the Wednesday before Thanksgiving day break we discussed what the meaning behind it was and how it relates to the "typical" American way of life. It came up numerous times that we are celebrating family and it is a day dedicated to being thankful for everything you are given but that the reality is that, it was the day genocide started between the Pilgrims and the Indians, where were all slaughtered to death. For my family it is not so much a celebrating of that day but more a celebration of my grandfathers death who passed on thanksgiving many years ago. Its an excuse for my dad to cook and have lots of there friends and out family together. I really enjoyed this thanksgiving more than most cause I realized how to appreciate my family and their friends more, i might actually have "cool" parents. I was really surprised to find out how many of the people at my house knew about buy nothing day and the organization they run. I am surrounded by the artsy type that don't fall easily into that trap (maybe I should learn from them a little more). Although I did not set out to buy stuff on black Friday, I found it sad how desperate people where to get their hands on the best sale possible. Consumption has become a competition and everyone just wants to find a sale to feel better about the money they are spending. It is all a trap the money hungry companies send millions and millions or people promotions or sales to encourage people to spend money they might not have in the first place. When I was walking (at least trying to) across 34th street all I could see where thousands of people, I felt i had lost a sense of freedom, literally being trapped in that crowd and pushed where ever direction the shoppers where going.It made me realize how not worth it, it really is and I don't plan on going next year.