Staying Chill This Season

It’s that time of year again. What time do you ask? Why popcorn? Black Friday soon approaches. It’s the time of year that we see the best in people and the worst in people. The popcorn is for watching the show that is about to be put on by the madness that is Black Friday. There will be a truck full of videos of people acting the fool. It’s bittersweet to watch these videos. On the one hand, it can be entertaining, but on the other it is sad to watch how people act towards each other during Black Friday.

I have worked for Home Depot and for Wal-Mart in the past and let me tell you, I have seen it all and heard it all. I have seen fights over merchandise. I have talked with people buying sale items to give to a needy family or friend. I prefer the latter. I have taken part in Black Friday shopping maybe three times in all my years. It’s just not worth the hassle. Most of the sale items will be coming in by the truck load after Black Friday. There are very few items that can only be had during the Black Friday sale. I learned this a long time ago working at my previous big box store jobs. Nowadays, I almost exclusively do all my Christmas shopping through local businesses, crafters or through amazon prime. Amazon is hard to beat on Black Friday. This year, I will dig for more positive videos and stories about Black Friday to go with my popcorn. If you are like me, then you are just plum worn out with all the negativity coming out this year. Let us make this Christmas season the year that is remembered by how much people shared with each other, with how much people helped each other and with how much cheer we spread to each other. It’s easy to give into negative feelings and actions during one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year but it can be handled with a little forethought, count to 10 before reacting-this will give you time to cool down, carry water and drink it whenever you get stressed out, it’s been proven to have a calming effect in stressful situation and it will also give you a brief time out. A little drastic but just not putting ourself in places and situations we know that will trigger stress or negativity is the easiest way to avoid stress. When you have time, exercise is a great way to decompress, even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood. Try to remember people you interact with whether you know them or not are someone’s mom, dad, brother, sister and other relatives, treat them like you want your family treated.

This is Will B. saying, give the gift of good cheer this season and remember manners count!