I was watching a American newscast yesterday and one of the topics discussed were store closures on Thanksgiving. I can't remember exactly which state it was but I know it was an eastern state. Anyhow, the debate was that some retailers are allowed to stay open i.e. Drug stores and other stores are not i.e. Department stores. So they took the question to the street and ask the average person what they thought.
It turns out that most people would like the option of being able to shop on Thanksgiving if they so chose. I guess I wouldn't argue with that. One of the major issues against not wanting the stores open is that they felt workers should have an opportunity to spend a day with their families....I don't think you can argue with that either so how do we find a balance?
We hear so much about the decline in the family unit. Families not spending enough time together. Again, I can't argue that. We see that statistically that there is a huge increase in children spending more time at home alone with electronics as their babysitter resulting in an increase childhood obesity being on the increase(I will save that for another post).
Being a person who works in the health care environment which operates 24/7, I know first hand what it is like working on a holiday and not being able to be with your family. Personally I think it sucks. When my children were little I worked casual(although I worked full-time hours) I was able to schedule my hours that would limit my time away from my children. I didn't want my work dictating when I can spend time with my children. I did my share of working Christmas Eve night shifts, or Mother's Day, Easter and many of the statutory holidays, but the two holidays I just would not work was Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Those days were and still are very important to me, and personally I don't care what they paid me I wouldn't work those days.
Now that my children are older I have become more flexible. I still haven't worked Christmas or Thanksgiving I certainly would not even consider going shopping on Thanksgiving nor Christmas or Boxing Day.
So I ask you, how do we as a society find balance between the business market prospering and workers being able to spend time with family on these holidays.
7 comments:
I hate to say it but in our lifetime I doubt we will see a balance between the two. Gone are the simple days when things could come to a screeching halt for holidays. It can for a lucky few, the rest need to keep the ball rolling.
I still can't help but wonder...what has changed so much that the need to work 24/7 has come so predominent. Is it greed,technology, the minimum being such that people just can't make ends meet, and have to work more than one job or what? If it's techonology then has this advancemnt really done us any good...I mean for the family unit and for society.
I too often wonder why the need to shop on holidays. Our lives has spun out of control with wanting bigger and better and more dollars.
The more you have ..the more you want it seems.
I think a person would be amazed at how little they really need to enjoy life.
Purvail...thanks for visiting my blog..I couldn't agree with you more...the more we make the more we want or feel we need...you are so right.
I wonder about the issue of workers not having holidays when stores are open. I have also thought though about some fields like health care that are open 24/7. It's a hard one. When I was a child, retail stores couldn't be open on Sundays in my state, except emergency pharmacy. Odd to remember that almost like from a different planet.
Carver....well there is no escaping hospitals and nursing homes being open 24/7 that is the nature of the beast....but do we really have to be shopping?
I have mixed filling about this. I recall places closed on Sunday. Every one needs a break.
Coffee is on.
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