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There has been a lot of hoopla on Facebook and Twitter about people having to work on Thanksgiving.
If you have two Facebook friends, odds are one of them has posted the sign that proudly states that, “they are not shopping on Thanksgiving…everyone deserves a holiday.”(I’m paraphrasing. The sign is at the top of this page.)
It’s a nice sentiment, but a tad bit naïve and completely unrealistic.
Let’s start with everybody’s favorites – Target and Wal-Mart. If you apply for a job at Wal-Mart, odds are you already know you are going to be working on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. It’s not like it’s a company secret that they spring on employees the week before – it’s their shtick. It may not be right but it’s what they do.
Now, if you are so mad that people have to work on Thanksgiving, you decide to join the bored, bleeding hearts who decide to picket outside of Wal-Mart. Then a fight breaks out and you get thrown through a window and you cut an artery on the glass (hey, it could happen). In the scenario where “everybody deserves a holiday,” when one of your friends dials 911 to get help it won’t be there because the police and fire department will be spending time with their families. Now you’re dead. That’s a much worse way to spend Thanksgiving!
Let’s count the police and fire departments out. You get thrown through the window. Your friend grabs a phone and tries to make the call, but the cell tower isn’t working. Yes, people also have to work at the various phone companies making sure things are running smoothly. You’re dead again!
Your friend is so mad that you died because the cell tower wasn’t working that he snaps a “dead friend pic.” and goes to share his outrage on Facebook, but sh*t, Facebook crashed and because “everybody deserves a holiday” the system has taken a dump and nobody is there to monitor or fix it. Now not only are you dead, but nobody can “Like and Share” the news. Total bullsh*t!
Your friends are not only mad, they realize they are going to be very bored for the rest of the day. They are determined to get the news out, so they go to a phone in the Wal-Mart and dial 411 to get John Garcia from ABC 7 down to cover the murder. Crap, not only are the 411 workers all at home, but John is at home as well. Because reporters and the good people at directory assistance also work on Thanksgiving. So do the people in master control at the networks.
Not only is there no social media, no TV, no phones, but – God forbid – a storm hits while you are on your way home and the power goes out. All the folks from ComEd are at home stuffing their faces and enjoying Thanksgiving. You are facing dying from boredom as well as freezing to death.
Turkey Trots, Macy’s Day Parade, ER doctor, Toll Booth Operator on the way to grandma’s house all working on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, New Years, Fourth of July and my birthday (should be a national holiday.) ,
In a world where everyone gets a trophy for participating and everyone gets a turn while they slide down rainbows into pools socialized medicine, yes, “everyone deserves a holiday.”
In this world, there are people who are dedicated to making sure you are safe, healthy and even entertained, from the police and fire department to reporters, camera people and techie geeks rocking computers. For that we should make a separate sign that says, “thank you for taking time away from your family, so I can enjoy Thanksgiving with mine.”
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