5am, why?
This morning, the alarm clock on my cell phone jarred me from my all too short sleep/nap at the ungodly hour of 4am. Being a musician by trade, I’m used to laying down for sleep at that time, not waking from it. I did, however wake in good spirits, excited about the opportunity to observe and report on this most symbolic consumer holiday, this celebration of capitalism, this day we call “Black Friday”.
As I threw on my clothes n’ prepared myself for the day, I couldn’t help but think, “Why must this day traditionally start so damn early?” On a normal business day, these stores usually open up around 9 or 10am. Perfectly reasonable I think. Why not keep those hours on this ‘special’ day?
At 4:50 am, as I pull up to my destination, the Ashford/Dunwoody Wal-Mart in Atlanta, GA, the answer is clear. There is a mood of impatient hysteria. Everyone looks as if something magnificent is about to be unveiled. It is as if they are on the inside, in the know, in a privileged position to take part in something that the rest of humanity is too slow n’ lazy to be hip to. These are ‘special’ hours. The one day of the year that these places of worship for consumers open up early to welcome their congregations with deals that those damn sleepy, ungrateful pagans just can’t partake in. It is a sort of capitalist communion. It is the day that you pledge your soul to the glory of thrift and consumption. A special day that deserves its own special hours.