A Black Friday Adventure

Photo courtesy ChuckmanChicagoNostalgia.wordpress.com

Good glory! I stepped off the streetcar onto State Street yesterday and nearly got trampled by hordes of people laden with bundles! "What on earth is going on?" I shouted as I toppled into a (remarkably handsome) man. He told me it was something called Black Friday, when stores have the most marvelous sales and people celebrate by emptying their bank accounts.

"Well, for heaven's sake," I said as I regained my bearings, "Back in my day we had a Black Tuesday which emptied people's bank accounts, but there was certainly nothing to celebrate about that." The man explained that "Black Friday" is a good thing, that retailers count on the day to literally put them "in the black" for the year as people start their Christmas shopping and snap up bargains.

I suddenly felt inspired to do a bit of Christmas shopping of my own. Did I mention that the man smelled awfully nice? He disappeared into the crowd before I had a chance to ask him what he was wearing, but I zipped over to Field's and headed straight for the gentlemen's cologne counter to purchase something grand for Pop. The array of choices was dazzling, but in the end I settled on something familiar. (Pop is very wary of what he calls "new-fangled" things.) I selected a bottle of Aqua Velva shaving lotion, which originated in 1929 and is something he will actually wear. Did you know Aqua Velva was originally introduced as an alcohol-based mouthwash? 

It was so economical that I picked up a bottle for my brother Charlie, too. Now I'm off to find a gift for my sister Helen. She's fifteen years old--any bright ideas?

Enjoy your shopping, kiddos, and don't take any wooden nickels!
Marjorie