American "Traditions"

Ok, I've been back in America for two "Holiday Seasons" now, but I've only worked in a mall for one of them. :O) Or maybe I shouldn't be quite so cheerful. I am more than grateful for my two days off right now because the last day I was at the store, PEOPLE WERE CRAZY!!!

I am thinking about this because I walk around the mall on various breaks that I have in the day. It's amusing and upsetting the different kinds of people that you see in a mall. Whenever I start my day, I am sure to see some mall walkers. I just did a little search and was SHOCKED to see that there are mall walking clubs. Why I'm surprised I don't know. Everything seems possible in this country. That's a wonderful thing... I think. The mall walkers inevitably scare the crap out of me because when you get to work at 7:30 in the morning, there are not many other people around and it seems like geriatric McGee is walking at light speed around corners. I don't understand the appeal.

Another thing I don't like very much about my home culture is the absurdity of Black Friday. Scroll down on the link and look at some of the violent acts that have taken place just this year in 2010. How is some "macabre" tradition so important in this land? It's another product of Philadelphia. Some would say that's enough of a description (Adam) but I want to know where, in the years did someone say you have to be evil to everybody else. I always laugh when people come into my shop and say "I don't have much time, tell me in 1 sentence what is so great about a .........(fill in the blank.) As many of you know, I don't exactly work in a store where you walk in a walk out. My average interaction on the sales floor is about 45 minutes and I don't mind.

But, in the true tradition of American holidays, I don't have enough time to finish this...