Jaded

As is our tradition, more out of necessity than actual tradition, MBB and I took the opportunity that a holiday weekday affords, and did a little shopping. As some of you may recall we had an interesting situation two years ago in Home Goods, when we discovered that the town with teh largest concentration of retail establishments has an ordinance that states that stores may not open before 1 PM on Memorial Day.

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to a place to look at new chairs for the kitchen, as we felt there were signs indicating the time was right to replace the folding chairs in the dinette(the signs said "SALE!"). We chose a chair, but I was nervous to get it without first bringing it home so we paid for the chair, and took the floor sample telling the proprietor that we would return it by five (when he closed). Apparently we forgot about our girls' high school dinner (really a "Luncher" as it began at 2 pm...best dinner ever. It started at 2, it was over at 3:30), and then subsequently a concurrent Bar Mitzvah I was attending, and another Dinner that MBB was going to. 5 o'clock was not happening. So I called the guy.

"I don't think I'm going to make it today, can I bring it tomorrow?"

"Sure no problem. We'll be here at 10."

"Oh, I thought you'd be open at 1, because of the ordinance."

"We'll be here at ten, you can come at 11. The cops come around every other year or so."

So we went at 11 this morning and we asked about it, and he explained that if a cop comes by he turns off the lights and the "open" sign, but if people come in he doesn't turn them away.

Later we went to another place, and it proclaimed on the door "Open for browsing 10am-1pm. Open for business 1pm-6pm."

We discussed it in the car on the way home, and at first we said how silly the ordinance was, but then we thought about it, and realized that as a society we have become so focused on our shopping needs, that nothing is ever closed and no holidays are sacred. What is Memorial day, and why is it that as Americans we can't take these three hours not to shop? I understand why the shopkeepers open, because if they don't, people will just head to the next town, in the next state, and that will be that. Really, our main holidays SHOULD be Memorial Day and Veterans day, and they should be honored by more than just a BBQ and retail therapy. I understand we are part of the problem, if people wouldn't shop, stores would not be open, and I know that it's a great day, with the kids in school for part of it, to get an errand done. I was just taken aback by our initial reaction to how silly it seemed to have stores open late.

It's not silly. It's not nearly enough.