Employed Black Friday Workers

So I have been hearing a lot of people talking about the poor people who have to work on Black Friday and how Black Friday is starting earlier and earlier. There is a Target employee who actually wrote a petition and got people to sign it asking for their store hours to not start so early. It has been on the news and made the Huffington Post http://foxnewsinsider.com/2011/11/22/target-employee-starts-petition-to-fight-back-against-opening-stores-at-midnight-on-black-friday/ on Fox News.

This kinda hits me wrong. Maybe I am politically incorrect for saying it, but I’m going to anyway. Our economy has been in the toilet. There are people who don’t have jobs. There are now people who don’t appreciate the jobs they have. I’m sorry the hours suck, but it IS  a job. My hours at my job suck. I work 11pm-7am every day (and sometimes more), no matter if it is a holiday or not. If the holiday falls on my days to work, I work. If it happens to fall on my day off, well I’m probably sleeping.

How do people think our economic situation is going to change? Nobody can wave a magic wand and things are suddenly better. No, it takes economic stimulation. How does that happen? Days like Black Friday. Why is it called Black Friday? Because most business open on that day are operating in the black instead of the red. (and for the record, that is an AWESOME thing!)

I do understand people wanting more time with their family and I do have some sympathy. But I don’t have a whole lot these days. Today we have to do what we have to in order to survive. And if we want to complain about Black Friday, why don’t we recognize that we, as a society, are the reason for it. Once we did away with the Blue Laws years ago where stores had to be closed on Sundays, then everything else pretty much became fair game. And that includes the holidays.

I think until things stabilize for the nation that we should be thankful there are jobs. A few months ago there were a lot fewer than there are today. (BTW, I have to work Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve.)

Sometimes Ya Gotta Suck It Up

Right now the economy is in the toilet. I’m not going to discuss the political implications of that because I don’t believe it was tanked within the last 3 years. It takes a whole lot longer to do this much damage. Currently the county I live in has an 8.4% jobless rating. It’s not as bad as some of the country and it’s not as good either. I know there are jobs available. Are they great jobs? No. Are they jobs? Yes. Do I know people who need jobs? Yes.

So what is my problem? I tell people about these jobs and they say they don’t want “that” job. I’m sorry but I don’t think in this economy that is really an option at the moment. Right now any money coming in is better than no money coming in. It’s better than them whining to me that there are no jobs when I know for a fact there are. I know they qualify for these jobs and would get them if they would take some initiative and try. We all want to make $50 bazillion a year but most don’t (excluding Bill Gates, that Facebook kid, and the guys from Google).  This is not just one person that has done it. And frankly I think it is a shame that people act like this. It’s a sense of entitlement. It makes me want to ask them why they feel they’re better than anyone else. I’m sorry but in this society no one is better than anyone else and they should be glad that anyone has any jobs.

This reminds me of the story of the flood when the guy is standing on the roof praying to God for help and a row-boat comes by and they say, “Come on! Let’s go!” and he says, “No. I’m waiting for God.” And then a helicopter comes and they drop a ladder and yell, “Climb up!” He yells, “No! I’m waiting for God!” He drowns and goes to the pearly gates and is standing before God and God asks why he is there. He tells God the story. God shakes His head and says, “I DID answer your prayer! I sent a boat and a helicopter! What more did you want?”

The moral of the story, boys and girls, is that when opportunity is there, take it! Quit acting like you are better than anyone. Be glad you have that opportunity. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it is the last opportunity on earth. It just means it is the one available at the moment. I haven’t liked all of my past jobs. Guess what. They paid the bills. I have done telemarketing for a funeral home IN a cemetery. Glamorous, huh? Guess what! It was money. Get over your ego and pride and realize you need money to function and sometimes you have to suck it up.