Saturday, November 28, 2008, Nashville, TN, 6:33 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Black Friday.  Indeed.  It should be renamed "Black-And-Blue Friday".

I know.  I was there, right in the middle of it.  When shoppers, who were lined up thick outside the doors at the Wal*Mart where I work, were let in, it was akin to the runnin' of the bulls in Pamploma, Spain.  Or sharks feeding.

I nearly got mowed over.  And did people even say "Excuse me", or "Sorry", or even "Pardon"?  Nope!  They were more interested in snatching up all the bargains their baskets could possibly hold.  I'm on crutches, so moving out of the way is next to impossible for me; I'm still feeling it today, a day later.  *OW*

I can't tell you how many people I saw end up on the floor, from being mowed over.  I was afraid someone would get trampled; I wouldn't be surprised if someone did.  Or at least, have a heart attack or a panic attack from the crush of people! 

I did see an ambulance come to our store twice; once, a young kid was carted off, an oxygen mask on her face, and an elderly man was in full cardiac arrest about an hour later; when the stretcher was headin' out the door, paramedics were doing CPR on him, his worried wife following quickly behind.

I only hope those two people are going to be okay.  I said a prayer for them as they left.

The reason I was at Wal*Mart was because I was working.  It was a requirement; all of us had to work.  If someone didn't call in or show up, they were, more or less, terminated.  Company rules.

I only hope my family didn't get out in this mess.  I didn't see them while working; our family is easy to spot in any store because we are so big.  LOL  I pray they were smart and stayed home.  They'll probably do their shopping today; they're planning on it, according to Louie, my wife.

In any event, this same scenario was played out at malls, department stores across this nation.  Unfortunately Black Friday truly became reality in New York and California.  In California, at a Toys-R-Us, two men had gotten into a fight and shot and killed each other.  Meanwhile, in New York, at a Wal*Mart, a 34-year-old outside contractor employed by Wal*Mart was badly injured by a stampede at five in the morning.  He died an hour later.

What made it all the worse was that people kept shopping, not giving any regard to the tragedy at hand, and then had the nerve to complain when it was announced that the store would be closing.

At the news of these events, I cried.  I keep wondering what is happening to our country.  It seems that people, as a whole, have lost their ability to care.   All they care about is their own comfort, their own needs, and to he** with anybody else.

I don't know what I would do if any of my family members were the ones who were killed or injured on what is supposed to be a joyous time of year.  It would totally devastate me.  I would then have a perfect excuse to turn into  a bah-humbug!

Is a tv, a camera, sheets, anything, worth getting injured or even killed over?

Must be if it's on sale.  How very sad.

~Bill. :(