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In the Kitchen

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Just had to make quick trip to Wal Mart and wished the cashier happy Thanksgiving. Her response, I'll be here! She has to work cause the store is open. Does anyone remember if it was open last year too? Don't you feel in some way our values are getting lost? I know we need money but our families are getting forgotten.

My folks went through the Depression time and I do always recall they told me they still continued to attend church.

Just my point of view.
 
First of all let me tell you one thing, I'd trade with her on any day. No cooking, no cleaning no pretending that I like the stuff some of the guests might bring. Just go to work, get paid holiday rate, or even regular pay instead of loosing money I'd be making money. You may say that I am crazy and have no values, allow me to disagree. I thank G-d the moment I open my eyes. The first thing out of my mouth is blessing to G-d and I do not stop thru out the day. And with the last blessing I close my eyes. Making a special day to thank G-d once a year, in my eyes is wrong.
 
I don't think it's a matter of values... I think people do what they have to do to survive in the world the way it is today.
 
I am working the day before and the day after Thanksgiving. But I will say an extra special 'Thanks' on Thanksgiving.
 
I don't think it's a matter of values... I think people do what they have to do to survive in the world the way it is today.

Amen to that!
Where there's a will there's a way, you make time for both.
My SIL is a nurse's asistant working her way thru college. She has to work Thanksgiving at 3. So we eat at 1. Families make time.

I'd work awhile if we were open. Putting food in my kids' mouths is just as important as a Holiday with them.
 
The value I was referring to, is being grateful. I know a person doesn't have to stay home to do that but being together as a family was a sure sign of appreciation. However, I have to confess with shame that since our mother passed away my family don't get together like they used to. Maybe because there are too many of us that we can't like we once did.

Personally, I often wonder if the days we used to think were 'special' will still be in time to come. I do hope so as these are the special memories I still have. Just won't forget having turkey on Thanksgiving only one day out of year. Today, we eat turkey all through the year.

CharlieD, I respect your discipline. Thanks for sharing. I feel same way and continue to realize more and more how thankful I should be.

Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Corporate greed keeps retail open on what are traditionally, family gathering holidays. I can see gas stations, pharmacy or convenience stores being open, but the desire for increased corporate profits through special promotions on these days, just serve to separate families (shoppers and workers) on days when they could be spending time together with family and friends.
I really miss the "Blue Laws" from when i was a kid. Dad made sure the car tank was filled before the holiday, and Mom made sure she had everything she needed for the holiday meal. They PLANNED for the day, not REACTED to the day. Does anyone remember when Sunday was a family day, and not a day to get the shopping done? Am I just showing my age and tripping down memory lane here?
 
Corporate greed keeps retail open on what are traditionally, family gathering holidays. I can see gas stations, pharmacy or convenience stores being open, but the desire for increased corporate profits through special promotions on these days, just serve to separate families (shoppers and workers) on days when they could be spending time together with family and friends.
I really miss the "Blue Laws" from when i was a kid. Dad made sure the car tank was filled before the holiday, and Mom made sure she had everything she needed for the holiday meal. They PLANNED for the day, not REACTED to the day. Does anyone remember when Sunday was a family day, and not a day to get the shopping done? Am I just showing my age and tripping down memory lane here?

Only a little bit ;) I think most stores should be closed on holidays, too, but since most women are working now, we need Sundays for shopping and doing other errands that can't be done during the week.
 
what would closing stores on holidays accomplish ?
there are a lot of people that work on holidays ..
that do not work retail .. and it seems to me
that stores would not be open if there was not a demand
for it ..
 
what would closing stores on holidays accomplish ?
there are a lot of people that work on holidays ..
that do not work retail .. and it seems to me
that stores would not be open if there was not a demand
for it ..

It would allow those workers to have the day off to enjoy the holidays with *their* families. Yes, there are some jobs that don't stop - hospitals and live TV shows, for example. The stores create demand with ads and sales - it doesn't always just happen by itself.
 
Corporate greed keeps retail open on what are traditionally, family gathering holidays. I can see gas stations, pharmacy or convenience stores being open, but the desire for increased corporate profits through special promotions on these days, just serve to separate families (shoppers and workers) on days when they could be spending time together with family and friends.
I really miss the "Blue Laws" from when i was a kid. Dad made sure the car tank was filled before the holiday, and Mom made sure she had everything she needed for the holiday meal. They PLANNED for the day, not REACTED to the day. Does anyone remember when Sunday was a family day, and not a day to get the shopping done? Am I just showing my age and tripping down memory lane here?

I have to agree with you in spirit but Garlic does have a point as well with most families being 2 income and a lot of single parents Sunday becomes a necessary day to get things done. When I was a kid (and it was only the 80s) most of the moms in my town, an affluent suburb, were stay at home Moms. Now not so much... Many families are 2 career families relying largely on programs and nannies to raise the kids... many of the moms who don't work seem to be professional shoppers and are not cooking dinner or making lunches. One thing I noticed when I was home visiting with my dogs recently is there are not a lot of families with dogs in the neighborhood anymore. I think people just don't have the time. Nobody mows their own lawn either... the kids are even too busy (or spoiled) Sometimes I feel like the kids in the urban neighborhood where I live now have a more normally socialized life they ride their bikes around play pickup football games and skateboard and just hang out... it is a rough area and they have a lot to deal with growing up there but they are in some way more free.... and most of them are pretty nice kids (some are little monsters) The parents (the good ones anyway) seem to be fairly present and there are many extended families living in the area. Ultimately it is more of an old fashioned model and one the minivan rat race of the suburbs seems to be killing.
 
I don't know how Walmart pays its employees, but some people "live" for that holiday pay. And not everybody has family, don't those people usually get asked to work holidays first? And even if they do have families, so they "celebrate" Thanksgiving today instead of tomorrow. Does it really make a difference what day we give thanks or celebrate any holiday for that matter, especially with our (US) gov't moving most of them to Mondays? Well, maybe with the exception of Halloween. That could get confusing :wacko:.
I don't think values are being lost as much as they are changing. Things just aren't the same as when we were kids, and things were probably different for our parents, too, and their parents..... If things weren't constantly changing it wouldn't be fun to reminisce :neutral:
 
:) Up until two years ago I worked every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and every other holiday that was the job. Working in a ski area the holidays are our busiest times and you had to feed the people regardless. So I guess if you really want to celebrate these times you need to work at a bank or something. I think one should be grateful all year around. Of course not having kids or much family it makes it easier to work the holidays anyway. There are a lot of jobs where people just have to work on the holidays hospitals, police, state patrol and many more I think we should thank those folks who do these jobs and maybe do something nice or special for them during the holidays a plate of cookies or something.
 
If people choose to work on holidays, that's one thing. I just think that the winter holidays in particular have become way too commercialized and are too much about the shopping and not enough about the celebrating with family and friends.

Also, while you're probably right about some, Pacanis, I don't believe that most retail workers who have to work on major holidays don't mind it. I think they do it because they have to. Most of the people who take those jobs don't have better prospects or they would be doing something else.

I also don't think the skills that get you a job at Wal-Mart are the same skills that get you a job in a bank. It just isn't always a choice. Corporate greed is a choice, though, and with the world-wide economic collapse we've seen in the last few months, now we know how good that is for society. Not very.

JP, that's a nice idea. I have a big bowl of chocolate-covered peanut-butter balls I made for DH's birthday that might find a home at the local fire station :)
 
I don't know how Walmart pays its employees, but some people "live" for that holiday pay. And not everybody has family, don't those people usually get asked to work holidays first? And even if they do have families, so they "celebrate" Thanksgiving today instead of tomorrow. Does it really make a difference what day we give thanks or celebrate any holiday for that matter, especially with our (US) gov't moving most of them to Mondays? Well, maybe with the exception of Halloween. That could get confusing :wacko:.
I don't think values are being lost as much as they are changing. Things just aren't the same as when we were kids, and things were probably different for our parents, too, and their parents..... If things weren't constantly changing it wouldn't be fun to reminisce :neutral:
Well said. My DIL and son both work on the Las Vegas strip and they'll be working tomorrow. T'giving day is very busy on the Strip so they can't get out of working. We are celebrating today, Wednesday, because everyone is off school and work. It doesn't really matter to me if we do it today or tomorrow. Those who aren't working will still be here tomorrow for left overs, that's a tradition in this family. :)

When I owned retail shops, two of those shops were in a heavily populated tourist area in San Diego. The rules were that we were open 365 days per year. Holidays from 10 am til 6 pm. Because all of the shops were open we did a lot of business on those days.

Many of my employees were single women who had families in other states and couldn't go home for the holidays so they volunteered to pull the shift. I paid them double time and they fought to see who would work. They didn't mind at all, in fact they preferred it because it gave them something to do instead of sitting home alone. I have family and I wasn't about to work on holidays. So they did.
 
Commercialized is right, GG.
I will know Friday is the day after Thanksgiving because my one neighbor will be deflating the blow-up Turkey and inflating the Santa, snowman or whatever she has for this year. The orange lights will come down and blue or some other color will go up. It reminds me of an old "Mad Magazine" cartoon where a father and son are standing in front of two houses, one all ablaze with Christmas decorations and the other with a single candlelight and cross. The boy points to the second house and says, They must not celebrate Christmas.
I don't recall seeing holiday decorations like they are done today when I was a kid. being put a month in advance and with all the fanfare. Commercialism can happen on the home front, too. IMO. It's just the way things are now.
 
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