WalMart on Labor Day

It's like Disneyworld gone bad.

I did, however, watch a little boy pick out a toy that he was able to buy with his own allowance money. He couldn't have been more than 5 and he jumped up and down laughing and clapping about his new toy bow and arrow set. I looked at his mom and said, "I wish I could get that excited over something that only cost $4." But I guess I could get excited over things that cost $4. Ice cream in the dipped waffle cone. A good cup of cappuchino. Refills on the regular coffee. A mug from the Goodwill store that shows a friend thought of me while away.

But there is one thing that bugs me:

I saw yet another one of those cling things that people are putting in the windows of their trucks and SUVs. You know the ones, they have a cross or a rose with the words, "In Memory of Little Jimmy--1986-2006." I don't understand this new custom. It's as if the person bought a new vehicle and dedicated it to the memory of the dearly departed. It's akin to crosses on the Christmas tree. I understand wanting to show your faith and reminding yourself (and others) that the Holidays are about celebrating Christ. But is a torture device an appropriate way to celebrate a birth? In the same way, I think people would like to express their grief over the death of (usually) a young life. But is it appropriate to advertise it on your truck? I don't know. I think that it's just another way to capitalize on people's grief.

Maybe we should bring back the tradition of wearing black for a year following the death of a family member.