Event of the Decade

I pulled into the parking lot at 7:50 and already the line of people stretched the width of the lot.  There were two or three hundred people ahead of me in line.  At 8:00 we heard the countdown over the P.A. system.

10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1

And the doors were opened and everyone rushed inside and grabbed a shopping cart.

The Grand Opening of the new Morton Farm & Fleet!

I remember now why I don't do Black Friday.

There were traffic jams in the aisles.  They must have brought in a hundred extra employees, and they were very helpful, friendly, and working feverishly to restock the shelves that emptied continuously. Many came down from corporate in Wisconsin. Carts and dollies coming from the warehouse and trailers outside were constantly jockeying through the crowds.  It was a good thing the weather cooperated.   I had a plan and I got everything on my list into my overflowing, over-weighted cart except for one item which was already sold out.  I got into a check out line set up near a side door and only waited a half of an hour.  A big stuffed lion came by and gave me a bag of cheetos to munch on while I waited.
Later in the morning we heard that the check out lines were three hours long!  Are there really this many people that don't work on Thursdays?
Why did I go?  Because of the large number of items that were 50% off for the 3 days only.
They had vendor tents set up in the parking lot with demonstrations and seminars.  There were lots of door prizes and give-a-ways.  The police were getting a work-out directing traffic.  When I left, the parking lot was full and cars were parked up and down the side roads.
I would like to go back again soon and actually look around and see what has changed from the old store.  And shop in peace.

I am sure that the dedication of a new church, Christian service organization, or non-profit agency would not draw anywhere near the crowds or get the same attention.

Materialism trumps in our culture.

 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
Deuteronomy 20:5