WS Chronicle

By Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

Thanksgiving is over and we have fully digested our turkey and stuffing with gravy. Our turkey leftovers are gone. I don’t want any more turkey sandwiches and you can keep the drumsticks. 

Along with Thanksgiving came Black Friday. How many televisions did you buy? Some stores were giving them away like ice cream. 

I went out on Friday as a casual observer. Thankfully, I didn’t need another television or another electronic device. I’m still learning the functions on my cell phone, so I don’t need to be confused any further with electronic gadgets.

Interestingly, in my Black Friday travels, televisions were coming off the shelves without hesitation. Can you really take home three televisions? It seems televisions have become like cars as some folks replace them every four or five years. By the way, what do you do with a “used” television? 

Now we are in mid-December and the shopping sprees are continuing. There has been no letup or downtime. What are consumers shopping for now? Quite simply, people are shopping because of deals. Reports say that stores make big profits during this time. Now there are two types of shopping in my opinion. My perspective is that back in the day, we went to the stores downtown and then to the malls. In Winston-Salem, I can remember my parents shopping at Bocock Stroud, Anchor and Davis department stores. Going downtown was a big deal back then because the streets were decorated and my parents would see their friends and stop to talk.

Seeing friends was part of the shopping experience in the Twin City. I can recall my mom seeing friends and talking for what I thought was a long time. Of course, I didn’t say anything. I had to wait until the conversation was over. Shopping for Christmas in downtown stores has now been taken over by shopping in malls. There are some reports that say retailers located in downtown areas are not prospering as well as they did in the past. In fact, some stores have closed because of lack of business.

The new shopping craze is now online shopping. Companies like Amazon are making their imprint on consumer spending. It has gotten to the point where a person doesn’t need to leave their house to shop. You can sit at a computer with your charge card and order everything you need. The only part of your body that will get tired will be your hands. Amazon is raking in millions of dollars during this time of year. In my opinion, online shopping has taken the social interaction out of shopping. It’s your computer and sometimes a customer service representative. Americans have developed a strong relationship with online shopping. It will be that way for the foreseeable future.

Yes, it’s fun to look at our shopping habits; yet, we are at a very important time of the year. Christmas will be celebrated on December 25. It will be the birth of Jesus Christ. There has been great debate among religious leaders and scholars about the time and date, but as believers we know He was born to save the world and He did. That point cannot be debated.

The Bible gives us the story about Jesus, the wise men and the shepherds. Our places of worship are preparing programs that honor Christmas and its real purpose. Christmas is not celebrated for a sale, but is celebrated for salvation. Our rough roads have been made smooth by what happened on Christmas. Let us renew our faith and treat one another with loving kindness. Let our gifts this year be gifts of kindness, of happiness, of patience, of forgiveness, of peace and of joy.

Our lives are anointed because of what happened on Christmas. We are now appointed to spread this Good News. Wherever we are, let us proclaim Jesus is the reason for the season!

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator and can be reached at ewers.jr56@yahoo.com.