Here we go again. It’s that time of the year where we engulf grandma’s mash potatoes as quickly as possible before a camping trip to the mall. God forbid, one arrives a minute after 11 p.m. and the deal of the century will be handed to a loyal shopper who was willing to skip the turkey to arrive on time. 
 Sure New Year’s Eve is still more than a month away, but this particular day may be even bigger than that. Because this is Black Friday Eve. 
 On this night, there is no half naked Jennifer Lopez to help us count down. Nevertheless, the countdown is on. When the clock strikes midnight, the rampage officially begins. Soon the doors part and these desperate souls go flying in. Delusion has them convinced they are stretching their hard earned dollar. Yet their wallets cry for mercy. Like a hungry lion, the cash registers gladly open up and take all they can get.
 As dawn arrives, the madness has yet to reach its peak.
 Still the dazed look on the faces of innocent children is quite evident. Many of them hold on to their mothers like a monkey holding on to its banana. Some are even trampled as the race for the Toshiba heats up.   Before long, the weeping begins and the toilet calls. Now it’s a mad scramble through the crowd before an accident occurs and the pants become drenched.
 When that issue is resolved, the tummy grumbles. Conveniently, a food court just happens to be nearby. More importantly, those $10 dad just saved on his brand new coat, really come in handy at this junction. And in case $10 isn’t enough for dad and the family, why not add a few more dollars and satisfy the whole family. Hopefully whatever is left will be enough for gas since there are still many stores in town that have yet to be visited.
 As lunch comes to a conclusion, it turns out that still not all problems have been solved. At this point, there is a clear demand to visit jolly old St. Nick. Dad being the good father he is doesn’t want to disappoint his children or Santa, who has made the long trip from the North Pole. In fact dad is so kind, he stands in line for hours with a painted smile, just so his children can sit on the lap of a man who is only trying to make a living.
 But as it turns out, dad isn’t the only poor soul during this so called greatest day of shopping. Teenagers too are troubled on this day as they fight through the chaos of the mall and often cross paths with their ex-sweetheart or worse their teacher, who is all of a sudden wearing a muscle T-shirt with beach shorts.
 In this age of the internet, it seems logically for people to avoid all this chaos and shop from their recliner. Yet people insist on taking part in the madness. Of course some call it a tradition. But if this is what we call a tradition, maybe we have some explaining to do.  
 At some point in history, I’m sure it was a privilege to give and receive a gift. Today it’s an obligation. It’s as if the constitution requires Americans to participate in the lunacy of Black Friday. And people who are not willing to sacrifice their time or dignity are deemed a Scrooge.
We can no longer turn on the TV with out being reminded that kiss is spelled with a “k.” After watching these advertisements a few thousand times, we’re supposed to rush outside and join the crowd. Otherwise, our duties as a loyal partner are unfulfilled. Ultimately, it’s about the amount of money we spend on each other and not about the time we spend together.