Daily Archives: December 3, 2015

Travel and an Identity Crisis- Can you have both?


An identity crisis is not a starting point for any journey

Rupert Murdock – Nov 30, 2015

Interesting statement, eh? Rupert was refering to the US government, and his point was that to give the US a sense of direction, a US leader muts understand, be proud of and assert the American personality.

But I took the comment more personally.

If you are considering changing yourself, either physcially by traveling to a different country, or G-d forbid, move to a different country – or mentally – it clearly helps to have a solid place to stand.

If you aren’t sure of what you want to accomplish, of what you’d like to achieve at the end of your journey – the path is more likely to be controted and mis-shappen.

On the other hand – It’s 50 years since Abby Road by the Beatles was released – and I’m just old enough to remember what it was like in those days. We all thought that traveling was how you ‘found’ yourself – trips to SF were pilgramiges in search of self – and perhaps a few drugs. I went to London in 68 – in theory to study Drama – but in reality I wanted to see a bigger world. Not that Boston wasn’t big enough – but Europe, London, Travel, New Sights, New Sounds – and no parents – no supervison at all – that’s heady stuff at 19 to 20.

Are we thinking today that the youth I was at 19 wasn’t having an identity crisis? It is of course hard to look back – age does add a distance – and I’ve always worn rose colored glasses – but I would have to say that travelling when you are young is all about identity crisis – and travel when you are old is about seeing what you missed.

Big topic, tiny blog…

I’m off again – this time to the Czeck Republic – I shall have to consider identity crisis another day. Signing off – The Soup Lady.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday – You have to be kidding me


Mutters on a Black Friday

I’m not much of a shopper – and I know there are some of you out there chuckling manically at this admission. I suppose in the world of complete honesty – I’d have to admit to not being a shopper at all. In fact – shopping to me is probably up there with banging toes against a dresser in the middle of the night for things to avoid at all costs.

So – Black Friday. What do I care?

I am completely bemused, amazed, and intrigued by the amount of advertising that is being done by retailers from large to small in the name of ‘Black Friday’. But that’s hardly new. What set my fingers to typing today is what I can only see as a new, and thoroughly hideous development.

There are retailers who have decided that Black Friday should start on Thursday. 3:00 PM to be exact. What does that mean for their staff? What in theory is supposed to be a day filled with turkey and giving thanks in family based gathering in all corners of the US is truncated by Dad or Mom or Sister or Brother saying – oops – got to go to work.

And worse – folks were actually fighting over the bargains – I know that because You-Tube posted a video of at least one fight – and my nephews were extremely thrilled to share it around. So folks got up from their dinning room tables, turned aside from their turkey dinners – to go fight for a TV. Really?

It wasn’t bad enough that Black Friday sales started at midnight on Thursday – there’s some logic in a contorted sense to that (Ok Kids, finish dinner, go to bed – Dad, Mom, Sister or Brother is headed to work or to shop) – but at least the day is yours. 3:00 PM defies logic and sense.

Worse – it leaves the retailers who stick to their guns and are holding off for FRIDAY a step behind the game.

I have to admit that I didn’t really notice that Best Buy was suffering when I was dragged unwilling in to check out a new Fit Bit for my husband. They seemed well stocked and well staffed – and it was Black Saturday. Maybe I just don’t know what the hot new – and unavailable thing actually happens to be this year. Color me out of the loop apparently.

Interestingly – The marketing brains for some retailers have decreed that their stores will not open on Thursday or Friday – giving their employees two days off. Nice – but so clearly a marketing stunt. How do I know – they are advertising the fact! Cue the cute pictures of a nuclear family enjoying Thanksgiving.

But before I end this rant – and honestly – this is what this is – a rant – I don’t think I’m going to get folks to rethink the wisdom of having a big sale to drag in customers to ensure that they come to you and not your competitors in this pre-pre-run up to Christmas, I do want to ask one question.

Do you know the reason we call the day after Thanksgiving – Black Friday?

Ah – historically – this was the day that retailers finally got into the Black!

Signing off to do anything but shop – The Soup Lady.