O-mama - Opinionated Moms

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Hello O-Mamas!

Should I tell you the good news or the bad news first?  Okay, bad news first.

I don’t like sales.  I don’t like to shop in crowds.  So why did I go to my one and only, first and last, “door buster” sale about 35 years ago?  I needed an all weather rain coat that’s why.  And a quality woman’s store had them on sale for $5.00!

Wow!  Five dollars!  I was thinking that it was way too good to be true.  But I got up early the morning of the sale, drove into town, and was one of the very first ones there.  We stood in front of the door anxiously waiting for the store to open.  As we stood there, the crowd behind us grew in size, and also grew in impatience.

Finally, the door opened.  The person who opened the door quickly stepped aside.  The crowd behind me started surging forward.  In fact, they came so fast, that my left shoulder became caught in the door jamb before I could move ahead, and my right shoulder was being pushed hard from behind.  After thinking that this crowd was going to kill me, I finally was able to get my shoulder free so that I could move forward.  And forward I moved!  I’m not sure my feet touched the floor.  It felt like I was being swept to the back of the store by a tidal wave of fast moving women!

But, guess what.  I got stopped right where the coats were hanging!  I heard someone say, “Not my size” and saw a coat land on top of the rack.  I grabbed it.  It was my size.  I didn’t even care about the color or the style.  I just wanted out of the store alive!  Obviously I made it since I lived to tell you the tale of risking my life for a $5.00 all weather coat!  But, I have never been lured to that kind of sale again! Not ever!

You know by now that I don’t venture out on Black Friday.  And this year’s Black Friday was no exception.  According to the stories I heard on the news this Black Friday, my ordeal was nothing compared to a man having a heart attack at a Target store sale, and rather than anyone stopping to help, the crowd just stepped over him to get their object of desire.   In another situation a woman sprayed pepper spray into the crowed to get to the item she wanted.  And, a man was shot outside of a store because he would not give up the things he had purchased.

As my grandmother said those many years ago, “What in the world is this world coming to?”

Here’s the good news!  I love this time of the year! Christmas shopping can be fun and inspiring.  Every time I go by a Salvation Army ringer, I drop some money in the pot.  I know the good that the Salvation Army does to help those in need.  Every time I go into a store with the beautiful lights and decorations, I appreciate the trouble the decorators went through to give me this pleasure.  Every time I have the opportunity to give to someone less fortunate then myself, I am the one who is blessed.  Every time someone smiles at me and wishes me a “Merry Christmas” or Happy Holidays”, I know the human race is basically good.

We O-Mamas have the privilege of modeling for our children and grandchildren that truth ~ that the human race is basically good.   We can show them and the world that we can replace greed with generosity; impatience with patience and calm; and heartlessness with kindness and benevolence. 

All the traditions of this season warm my heart and fill me with joy!  Whatever your beliefs and traditions are, I wish you joy that stays in your heart and brings you a year of happiness!

For peace and independence,

Granny La Te Da