Everyone seems to be up in arms because stores are opening earlier and earlier every year following Thanksgiving. Or should I say they are not closing for the Thanksgiving holiday. Frankly, I don’t understand the problem with being open on a holiday. I know that retail stores ask for volunteers to work it before they “force” someone to. And when someone has to work, generally they can schedule around family get to togethers.

I was in retail for three holiday seasons. I was never put on the schedule during a time I had family time. Maybe I was lucky, but I believe the vast majority of people who make out the schedules are considering others. Even if you get scheduled for a shift that is interferring with family then there is someone that will trade with you.

One of the ways I look at working a holiday, you may be giving a customer to a chance to share the day with others instead of sitting at home completely by themselves. Why don’t I hear complaints from Florida? They seem to work 365 days a year. One year I was visiting friends in Orlanda, FL for Christmas. On December 25, 1996, we went to McDonalds for breakfast and then headed off to Sea World. I never heard one of these employees complain about working the holiday.

Now, can we get back to why there is a holiday? Thanksgiving is when we should be thankful for EVERYTHING in our lives. We don’t have to have our turkey dinner on that exact day. Heck my extemded family has our Christmas celebration on the 26th every year. Every day of the year is what you make it to be.