Disclaimer: I feel passionate about this so my sailor mouth just might make an appearance. You have been warned.
Okay, so I'm the typical American gal who got her first job in a mall at age 16. I remember one of my classmates eyeing my see-through plastic bag, with Contempo Casuals proudly printed across it. “How did you get a job there?” He asked. “I applied” I replied simply. It was a holiday job, 1987, and I worked my rear off the day after Thanksgiving. No hyped up grab-all-you-can name for that day back then. No Black Friday tunnel vision quite yet.
Fast forward ten years, I opened my own store in that same mall. In between I worked a lot more retail to put myself through college, and did a hefty amount of traveling. I brought treasures back literally on my back, coupled with every smile from every artisan I encountered, and the treasures all ended up under the Christmas trees of folks from my home county that first year. Life was good and there were many years ahead before the term “Pop-Up Store” was coined.
Although my young self felt like I had seriously figured life out, it was still annoying beyond belief that I had to follow all those lame-ass greedy mall rules, like being open at the butt crack of dawn the day after Thanksgiving, (which had started being promoted as the infamous “Black Friday” during my years of travel) AND the day after Christmas. It just didn't align with my values and the family values I was learning about from different cultures abroad. But I was a young P.C. (pre-children) gal, and anyway, I was on a plane the 15th of January to the sunny beaches of Thailand. Every. Single. Year. Don't get me wrong, I told each and every person who walked into my store that I thought it was ridiculous that they were in my store on Black Friday or the day after X-mas. Even back then I told them to go home to hang out with their families. I mean seriously. Chill out. We'll all be open tomorrow. But hey, I was seriously living the American Dream of the day. Or at least MY American dream.
Fast forward ten years since closing my last store and moving abroad permanently. Silly me, decided to open a “Pop-Up Store” (haha) once again in my hometown county for the holidays. And do you know what I found out after it was too late? I found out that I had to be fucking open on Thanksgiving Day. And that's when I knew my country had seriously lost the plot. YOU HAVE LOST THE PLOT, AMERICA!!
You are being duped. You are being manipulated. And I know firsthand. I've been watching your buying habits for thirty years now. Forget all the things I can tell you about the human rights abuses and child labor abuses in the places where your things are made. I'm here right now, today, because I'm concerned about the people of MY country. I am seriously concerned about the future of our culture.
TAKE BACK YOUR POWER. TAKE BACK YOUR HOLIDAYS. TAKE BACK YOUR LIVES. TAKE BACK YOUR FAMILY TIME. Your kids don't see you enough, I promise. The greedy corps need us more than we need them. They are buying you! Don't let yourself be sold because they WILL cater to your demands. So demand a good quality of life, guys. I promise you, it doesn't come from a bunch of plastic crap Made in China . Turn the tables, folks. You've been complacent long enough, it's time to take charge. And if you don't, and you can quote me on this, The Joke Is On You.
Don't shop during family time and please shop ethically. If you want to shop with us at Global Groove Life, I'd love it. There's a bunch of other ethical businesses out there and you live in the era of the internet. (which was not the era I lived in when I jumped on my first plane and met my first group of artisans) So you know, don't be lazy—Find the Fair Trade gifts.
Finally, if you've humored my rant till now, here's a discount code for you: FairIsTheNewBlack and it's how we are taking our holiday back. Be fair to your friends, to your family, to the guy that has to get up at 5:30 a.m. on Black Friday or has to leave Thanksgiving dinner early for a shopper's “paradise”.
We're offering a 25% percent discount through the weekend starting now. Nothing would bring me more joy than to know me and my friends made it under your Christmas tree. But don't shop with me when you could be spending time with your family. I beg you. Just. Do. NOT. Do. It. Because I promise you, I for one will be sitting home playing games with my kiddos eating leftover pumpkin pie.
Peace to you this holiday season.
Use this code at checkout: FairIsTheNewBlack