It's about time

Dear Friends

I am not the “Advent Police.” You may start listening to and singing Christmas carols starting the day after Thanksgiving, anywhere and anytime except on Sunday mornings in church. 

But many of you know I was/am the “Thanksgiving Police” when it comes to stores being open on our national holiday. (Excluding some grocery stores, gas stations, movie theaters etc.)

I am happy to announce, if you haven’t heard, that after more and more stores were opening on Thanksgiving Day (and some staying open after midnight to kick off Black Friday) the pendulum is swinging back. Just look at the list in the pictures above.

While this positive trend may have been influenced by the pandemic and on-line shopping, I like to think it was only because of my efforts. Seriously, one of my proudest moments was when my letter to the editor on this subject was published in the LA Times on Thanksgiving Day, several years ago, as the lead letter (in the separate box with a picture)! One of the lines from that letter sums it up---It’s Thanksgiving Day, not Thank$getting Day. On the same Thanksgiving Day, I had a different letter on the subject published in the Riverside Press Enterprise. (You can't send the same letter to different newspapers).

So to practice what I preach, may the only stuff  I get on Thursday be stuffing.

Now excuse me while I go set up some cameras to catch any Amazon delivery vehicles trying to sneak into my neighborhood.

John