A blank page.
Every Black Friday, I wake up early to write. It’s tradition for me now. Here are some of the articles I have written on Black Friday morning:
- 35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget
- Holiday Shopping. We Can Do Better.
- All the Things You Don’t Need for a Perfect Holiday
Sitting down to write on Black Friday is now one of my favorite holiday traditions.
I never begin the day with an agenda and I have no predetermined topic in mind. Yesterday was Thanksgiving in America—a day for family and gratitude. The juxtaposition of Thanksgiving on Thursday and Black Friday immediately following speaks volumes about our culture. And I try to let the morning quietly speak to me.
So here I sit, with nothing but a blank page in front of me.
My writing tradition stems from my previous ritual of getting up early on Black Friday for shopping. I used to thoroughly enjoy the hunt—thumbing through Black Friday ads on Thanksgiving morning, mapping out stores and deals later that evening. I don’t ever recall getting up early on Black Friday to purchase Christmas gifts for loved ones, only to rush out and purchase something for myself—a television, a computer, a video game system. I had a plan, something I thought I wanted, and an alarm clock to wake me up.
I discovered minimalism in May of 2008. And over the course of the last nine years, my view on Black Friday has changed significantly. Not that purchasing discounted gifts for others is wrong—I’m certainly not against the entire notion of gift giving.
But Black Friday has begun to represent something else in our society. It is now a celebration of unbridled consumerism. Only in America do we wait in line and push past others for sale items one day after giving thanks for everything we already have.
And the things we buy on Black Friday are, almost by definition, things we don’t need. To make matters worse, the cultural expectation of spending during the holiday season is negatively impacting us in significant ways—24% of holiday shoppers say they overspent their holiday budget last year and 27% admit to not making a budget at all.
With that as the backdrop, quietly reflecting and taking time to write on Black Friday has become my ritual. If I can wake up early just to rush out for the purpose of buying something I don’t need, certainly I can wake up early to create something good to bring into the world.
If I can wake up early to consume, surely I can wake up early to create.
And so now, in the quiet hours of the morning while the rest of my family sleeps, I sit here with a cup of coffee staring at a blank computer screen.
An empty page.
An empty canvas on which I can write or create anything I desire.
And on this empty page, I can’t help but notice a metaphor for life.
Many, you see, will rush out this weekend to accumulate more and more physical possessions, filling their lives and their homes with more and more stuff. They will spend time and energy and money to accumulate things they don’t need. In so doing, they will write on the pages of their lives—a larger television, a new Amazon Echo, that stand-up mixer they always wanted, or the newest Barbie Dreamhouse for their child.
But me? I kinda like having a blank page in front of me.
Because a blank page represents possibility. A blank page allows me to write anything I want on it.
For this one day, it means I can cook pancakes for my kids when they wake up, or I can enjoy a cup of coffee with my wife. Because I am not rushing out to buy whatever product my local retailer has decided to discount today, I have time to write, create, and do work that I love. This afternoon, I may read a book or go hiking with my family after warm turkey sandwiches for lunch.
And those are just the opportunities that come to my mind. Who knows what my kids will decide would be fun for us to do today?
But no matter what they choose, I’ll be ready.
Because my Black Friday is an empty page and I can write anything I want on it.
This is what happens when we reject the empty notion of excessive consumerism: Our lives fall back under our own control. We get to write our own story.
We are freed to pursue fulfillment and meaning and happiness wherever we choose.
Vera says
Black Friday has now become a thing in South Africa too. I actually avoid shopping on this day. Apart from unbridled consumerism, I’m sad to say that people also forget their manners. I am new to minimalism, but I’ve been steadily decluttering for a few months. It is liberating! I never thought it would release so much stress!
Donna Rodgers says
I have to say, it took the longest time for me to figure out what Black Friday meant. We never had a lot of money, but our tradition on the day after Thanksgiving was to sit around and visit and relax outside (in Texas) or play football or frisbee or help the kids with their board games and toys. The thought of waking at the wee hours of the morning to ‘get a deal’ just did not appeal to me at all as a homemaker.. so I just ‘didn’t. I’ve never regretted it!
Becky says
Why should I allow anyone to mark up my beautiful blank page but me? They can take their alluring markers to some other page. I am not giving them permission to take my time, desires, and breath away by scribbling on my page. Thanks for the reminder to be on guard of MY blank page.
Mary Lehett says
Thank you for your article. It is thought provoking and so true!
John says
Great article Josh! My fam is
settling into a new home in a new city. Minninalizing for months now, tough with 2 lil ones though, but thanks to you and the minimalists it’s fun! We drove by Walmart last night on our way home from a pefect dinner with fiends. We looked at the crowds inside, laughed and went home to enjoy a quiet night with our boys.
Debbie says
I have had many dinners with “fiends;” unfortunately, none of them were perfect. (Thanks for the unintended chuckle.)
Paula says
Well, this year also was one of no Black Friday shopping for us. I did go to a store for some trim on the angel costumes for church. But as I read and change in my own thinking and able to spend time helping reduce at my parents, the time I spend with them hearing the stories behind the hints of their lives, I am truly rich with less! Thanks.
Emme says
I have been trying to clean out unused/unwanted things and cut back on unnecessary purchases. I will admit that changing lifelong habits has not been easy, but I find myself desiring experiences over material goods. I planned to skip the Thanksgiving/Black Friday sales entirely. I was spending the holiday alone because my son decided to go to his in-laws, then I had to modify my tradition of watching the parade while enjoying the smell of turkey cooking (the planned menu changed when I realized the turkey “thawing” in a cooler outside was still frozen solid) So much for the idea of freezing leftovers in perfect portions. OK, no big deal, just eat something else and cook the #@&! bird later in the week. So I was alone, without “having” to be home to prepare a festive meal, but I resolved to stick with the “no shopping” plan. Then my six year old TV developed intermittent problems that got worse throughout the day. I saw less than a third of the parade and dog show, then sadly concluded that the tv was on its way out. I gave up on the planned tv shows. I went online to check the ads and read product reviews. I resisted the impulse to head to the stores to grab stuff to fill the void, but broke my vow of “no purchases” after I found a tv I liked… same size as the old one, free shipping, nice features without being top-of-the-line extravagant. A couple clicks later, I was done shopping. Yes, I could have chosen to do without a tv, but I chose to replace my old one when I liked the model and price available. And no, I did not buy anything else online, did not go out to any stores today and am not planning to shop tomorrow, so I will not beat it myself up for choosing to replace the tv.
Julie Y says
Thank you, Joshua, for your thoughts. I have been following you for a long time and think your writing gets richer and deeper as you continue guiding people down this path of minimalism.
Your Black Friday musings were especially relevant to me because “Empty” was my word to focus on in 2017. It’s been such a blessing, I think I am going to choose that as my One Word for 2018, too.
Pearl says
Cheers for everyone who stayed home and off online shopping.
Thank you for reminding me that I really am giving myself and family a wonderful gift by keeping the focus of the holidays on what matters.
I don’t feel pressure to compete with what others do around this time of year. Didn’t have a Christmas tree last year because we had two indoor teenage kittens. Planning to do the same this year, I made a fantastic wreath and my daughter made a paper tree that I taped to the wall.
I love that my family will all be together and that we are all healthy this year. I like your article it reminds me to be happy and let go of things that don’t work for me.
Greg says
Thank you Joshua. Blank Page, so lyrical and connotes an image of hopeful creation.