Black Friday 2018 – Giving Thanks for Addicts

It’s not just crackheads. It’s you, too

For one day we believe that what we have is enough.

And we can be thankful.

Amateur cooks, aided by Google algorithms, assemble meals for their friends and family. Millions of images and videos are uploaded to facebook’s servers and for a moment, it appears that America is a blood thirsty monoculture guilty of genocide on the turkey nation.

As Sahara-dry turkey carcasses and white bread, butter and gravy land on paper plates across the country.

We feast in glutinous gratitude. 11 Cowboys and 11 Indians battle one another in feats of strength viewed by millions of Americans through a panel of illuminated diodes.

The thanks and the giving is at its high. Then, somewhere in the state of Missouri, an Uncle named Jerry makes a comment about his new 75” 4K television to his brother, Jacob.

Uncle Jerry explains to Jacob that his manhood is at stake if he is unable to watch television with high dynamic range. Cowboys in ultra high definition.

But, last year high definition was good enough.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor.

Jacob gazes at his inferior 40” screen and for a moment his ability to give thanks wanes and the slender shadow of Black Friday caresses his neck. Jacob is not alone.

Night is near.

Inebriated by tryptophan, we slide into a slumber and dream of personal fulfillment from external forces. A new iPad, a new padded bra. A 50% promo code for WiFi-enabled, voice assistant compatible stocking stuffers. What dreams may come true?

Friday morning arrives and with it a rare wakefulness unknown in the previous 48 Fridays. The consumer has awakened.

With the vivaciousness of a crackhead close to a score, we burst through doors for door buster deals.

With the exception of a few, we are mostly not crackheads. But, many more of us may be addicts. A crowd of insufficient humans seeking to become sufficient by consuming external validation.

At Thanksgiving dinner we were, for a moment, sufficient. We were supposed to be thankful. Then we get our food and football fix. The feeling of fulfillment fades.

Insufficiency returns.

And we, as addicts, remain seemingly insufficient until we get our dose of that commoditized crack.

We were just thankful last night at dinner. What about all the thanks and the giving?

The thanks have all been given. Why be thankful for yesterday when yesterday can be upgraded today?

Know this: You’re enough.

-Sent from my new iPad Pro

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