I know… The title right? Kevin is just being dramatic… Or is he?
I am sitting in a hotel in Lima, Ohio on Thanksgiving. I drove my family down to visit family and do the annual overeating with my wife’s grandparents and another one on Saturday with my family… yum. Such a great meal and I ate myself miserable.
I noticed something this year that I have not seen in the past. People lining up outside of retail stores right afternoon as I drove from visiting family to the meal… People do know it’s Thanksgiving here in the US right? I remember making this drive many times and passing many empty parking lots. My thoughts were people were enjoying a day of reflection and gratitude with their families… oh ya…. and food.
I was disappointed to see these lines at noon. The traffic was insane and the mall parking lot, full out to the street. Every year retail stores struggle to compete. I get it, but at what sacrifice? Do we really let the temptation of a great “deal” take us from one of the few days we spend with family? I believe the breakdown of the family unit to be the slow decay of the planet and all the values that I hold dear. I will not raise my children accepting that Thanksgiving is another retail holiday and Christmas has become.
The retailers are damaging the values of family in two ways. The first is requiring their employees to leave their dinners of fried turkey and pumpkin pies with loved ones to enact their plan of value destruction in the name revenue. Second is running the ads that actually convince people this is a good idea and making them feel that it is ok because I saved ‘X’ amount of money.
I know of a lot of you reading this are thinking… what the hell does this have to do with DFIR? lol nothing! It has everything to do with people and the value we have placed on our families.
This season, value what is important to you. If the “great deal” means that much to you, by all means, pursue it. If you believe as I do, stand up for your values. As a business owner myself, I choose families first. I hope you do too.
Have a great holiday season.
