Find a Happy Place

Black Friday has to be the biggest scam like saying there is a Santa Clause to GROWN children....I hate that day with passion because it shows our national greed as a society and a sad waste of time. Not to be so preachy mind you, I laugh as I write this because I don't care one way or another if people decide to behave crazily rude on this date every year, it is part of their freedom to buy into the excitement, to buy anything on that day if they want. THIS year I noticed how nice it was that all the people went out to shop at the butt crack of dawn leaving that evening's walk on the beach wide open for me. I loved my lazy morning coffee time saying goodbye to my Aunt and Uncle, eating lunch with my cousins downtown Portland then arriving to a rainy Cannon Beach. A shop clerk told me most people left that lovely peaceful town to shop in the big city for Black Friday. I was surprised by this, wondering who in their right mind would live like THAT? maybe the question should be more like how lucky am I to have the Oregon coast to myself???
Perhaps if all the shoppers on Black Friday were required to work on a black Friday at least once in their lives they wouldn't celebrate so easily? At least for me I learned quickly how to find my happy place among this crazy stupid tradition. THIS year it was on the wet soft sand of that amazing Oregon Coast but I wasn't always so lucky......

The darkness of my bedroom told me it was 3am, I had to get up no more hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock. My husband Tony would be upset if I didn't wake him to say goodbye although I thought it very rude of me to do so, it's way early he doesn't have to get up for another 5 or 6 hours why wake him? Yet he requested so I usually did, I never made a noise in getting ready everything I did was in the dark and I slipped out of our newly setup Condo to my coffee shop job. THIS was Black Friday and I have no clue what was about to unfold behind those espresso machines, I liked getting work early to listen in the warmth of my car NPR as I wait for my boss or supervisor to show up. The new girl was extremely annoying with long blonde hair that she loved to swing back and forth while walking, she would talk right through her nose loudly reminding me in her training manual I was not steaming the milk right. I didn't usually argue I wasn't feeling like a seasoned employee yet so I took her with a grain of salt and something always to learn by. Then on this morning of all mornings getting to work early back fired as this new girl ran from her car into my car without an invitation.
I had barely parked my car when she knocked on my passenger window, The rain outside was cold and the darkness all around reminded me it was dangerous for her to stand out there long so I reach over to unlock the door thinking to myself "Ooooooh DEAR GOD...."
She swung in like we had known each other all of our lives and I sipped on my coffee mug in silence. People who know me laugh over how I was the silent one but it was 3:30am and I was only 25 years old not quite adjusted to being ready for an early morning. The new girl began without a formal greeting, "I love Black Friday, all those sales and great deals this is really hard for me to here right now, I was meant to go to the mall with my Mom and husband but they promised to buy my stuff for me I am getting a brand new winter coat since I have this job I need to look nice while staying warm getting up this early, and my husband says only the very best for me. He almost got me to call in sick today hahahahaha I'm like you girls wouldn't survive without me so no I didn't do that for him but once he makes enough money I'll be able to stay home. It's just so hard to miss out black Friday my family were so sad we are the true professionals in shopping with our walkies talkies and people really envy us for knowing how it's done!" I suddenly realized I had been gripping my steering wheel for no reason. She continued "Everyone is giving me such a hard time about my beautiful long hair and I told them that YOU have long hair too, you even wore pigtails the other day behind the counter I saw you! Sooooo I'm not going to pull my hair back if YOU don't have to as well HA!" I mumbled "Oh that's great..." She continued talking through her nose as I stared straight ahead pleading to myself not respond. This new girl was the hardest person I ever had to help train and for the most part my manager knew not to schedule us in such a close time frame but on this morning in my car I could hear my manager say "I want her to hang around you more Debby and learn how to be nice not just outgoing there is a difference she could benefit from you." I mumbled "Oh that's great..." Now facing the arriving 4 am hour on that black Friday I realized why she sat inside my car suddenly. She rolled her eyes and snorted "I was told you would be here this morning..." I cut in with alarm "You were?" wondering why no one had told ME about her...she nodded as she explained "Yeah I was told you would help me out in talking to customers better but we both know THAT'S a joke, I am usually the one training YOU!" She tossed her hair in my direction with a long laugh as my jaw tighten then I said over and over to myself "Find a happy place, Find a happy Place, FIND A HAPPY PLACE!!!"