Listen. I understand the reason for Black Friday for retail companies. I get it. It is important for them to start making their profit and margin for the year. What I don't understand is when did it become okay to infringe on their workers' day off? With Target, the store was closed three days a year. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Those were days I always looked forward to because it was a guaranteed day off. A day to spend with family or to go to church if you are religious.
It use to be that stores opened early in the morning on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Retail workers maybe had to get to the store by midnight in order to get everything organized for the madness that would happen some hours later. It was fun for a lot of people, even some of the workers. But it was after the holiday. The workers had time with their family. They were able to get a good, midday drunk on while watching football while waiting for dinner. Drinking and eating with family. You know, what the holiday is suppose to be about.
Instead now, workers are torn away from their family because greedy retail stores try to one-up each other by opening earlier and earlier in the day. Some stores this year are opening at six o'clock, others at eight o'clock, and even more at midnight. Several years ago, they early morning openings were moved to opening at midnight. I was okay with it. Technically it was the day after Thanksgiving and hence 'Black Friday'. It all went downhill from there. From midnight to nine o'clock to now six o'clock. So the one problem is that the workers are getting taken away from their family time and those who have to set up the store have to be there in the afternoon. Before the first football game is over, they are off to work. They do not get to have dinner with their family. They do not get to enjoy dessert. They have another day they have to go to work. To deal with people who are going to be really excited to treat the employees like shit while they rush around the store wondering why the super cheap item they wanted sold out three hours ago because they were pretty sure they were the only person in the entire city that wanted it. And so on and so on.
One of the major problems I have with the new hours is that the people that are making the decisions probably aren't going to be in the stores with their minimum wage workers. Do you think the CEOs of these giant retail chains are going to be running around and checking in on their stores? I think not. If they do, bully for them. But I would still drop kick any of them in the teeth for making this decision because they put money before people. The people that bust their asses for a paycheck. They bust their asses so they can pay the bills. They bust their asses for the cheap insurance. And for what? To have one of the three guaranteed days taken away from them? What the fuck is that?
One more item on this topic. Non retail workers listen up, because this is for you. This is all your fault. You are the problem here. If you sit around talking about how horrible it is that the retail workers have to work on Thanksgiving, you need to be the solution to this problem. Start petitions. Start campaigns against these companies opening up on Thanksgiving and ruining a family holiday.
Right now, I am so happy to have left my previous job for the one I have now. Granted it is still a retail job, but the CEO has come out and publicly stated that he feels that Thanksgiving is a holiday to be spent with family and will not open before the day after. THAT is looking out for your workers.
27 November 2013
13 November 2013
Re-read recap
Last November, I decided to take this year and re-read some of my books. They had been collecting dust over the years and thought that as long as they're there, I might as well enjoy them again. Isn't that the point of keeping them? Along with the list below, I read the Walking Dead graphic novels. They have put together two compilations for the entire series so far. It was a nice change of pace from the novels I read. So here's a breakdown of what I read over the past twelve months:
The Star Wars books I bought while in middle school and high school. I have about a dozen books at my mom and dad's house. I'll eventually get them all back to Minnesota, I just don't have a ton of space right now. I have really embraced my nerdy past recently and I'm loving every minute of it. These books are easy reads which are something everyone needs to have in their book collection. Easy reads feel like a reset button to me. They remind me of why I enjoy books and reading.
I got to the middle of August and started to regret my decision to do this. Right around the time I was reading 'Gone for Soldiers'. Mainly because I started to collect a ton of books that I really, really wanted to read. But I made it a point to read nothing but books that I had previously read and I stuck to it. So I made it through the year of re-reading. Almost twenty books in the year. Quite a change from last year's six books. Now, on to the stack of books that have been calling my name for the past four months.
- The Old Man and the Sea
- The Killer Angels
- Diary
- Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction
- Franny and Zooey
- The Zombie Survival Guide
- Prison Writings: My Life is My Sun Dance
- Nine Stories
- 44 Dublin Made Me
- Jedi Search
- Dark Apprentice
- Champions of the Force
- Gone for Soldiers
- The Dharma Bums
- Skeleton Crew
- Survivor
- On The Road
- The Catcher in the Rye
The Star Wars books I bought while in middle school and high school. I have about a dozen books at my mom and dad's house. I'll eventually get them all back to Minnesota, I just don't have a ton of space right now. I have really embraced my nerdy past recently and I'm loving every minute of it. These books are easy reads which are something everyone needs to have in their book collection. Easy reads feel like a reset button to me. They remind me of why I enjoy books and reading.
I got to the middle of August and started to regret my decision to do this. Right around the time I was reading 'Gone for Soldiers'. Mainly because I started to collect a ton of books that I really, really wanted to read. But I made it a point to read nothing but books that I had previously read and I stuck to it. So I made it through the year of re-reading. Almost twenty books in the year. Quite a change from last year's six books. Now, on to the stack of books that have been calling my name for the past four months.
12 November 2013
Too Soon....Too Soon
This has been a reoccurring theme for the past two years for me as a writer, but because I still see it as an issue, it demands to be repeated. Christmas is for December! I have seen people on social media posting pictures of their Christmas decorations (you know who you are) and trees. All too soon. It was the day after Halloween that I saw the first picture/status/tweet go up about decorating for Christmas. Listen, I understand that people like to decorate for holidays and get excited for them. I like decorating for holidays too. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I like to listen to the music while putting up the tree and decorating too, but not in November. Especially the first day of November. I have a strong 'no Christmas decorations until December' rule that I live by.
It is easy to want to put up the Christmas tree in November when it is an artificial one. You don't have to worry about the needles falling out or keeping it watered or having live critters (sorry for the Scandinavian subtitles on the link) coming out of the woodwork. We always had a real tree for Christmas growing up, so we had to wait to put it up because you didn't want to have bare limbs by Christmas morning. We got our first artificial tree living down in Wichita for two reasons. One: it was on clearance when we purchased it. Two: real trees were hella expensive down there. I don't know if you all know this or not, but Kansas isn't well known for it's trees. I mean, sure, they have one or two around the state, but not a ton to pick and choose from when it comes to Christmas trees. And the trees that are for purchase were cut down so long ago, that no matter how much water you put into the tree stand, it wouldn't last. Despite the fact that we have an artificial, our tree never goes up before December first.
Who wants happy winter decorations before the snow falls anyway? Looking outside right now, it is sunny (but cold). The grass is transitioning from green to brown. The leaves are all off the trees. It looks like fall out there. Fall. Not winter. The snow on the ground and trees makes everything look pure and happy. That is when you want to put up the decorations. Once the snow is on the ground to stay. One problem is that there is no full on holiday in between Halloween and Christmas in which people can go all out with decorations. You can decorate for the fall, but it is just a bridge between the two major holidays. Sure, you can decorate for Thanksgiving, but how many cornucopias can you put up in the house?
The retail industry is definitely a root cause to this problem. It seems that the minute Halloween decorations are being sold in stores, there is a small section of Christmas as well. Usually in the back corner somewhere, but then it starts to creep. Slowly gaining more and more space as October turns into November. It spreads like a zombie virus. Before you know it, you are hearing Christmas music playing in all the stores. On November third. The long three day transition from Halloween to Christmas is complete.
Am I going to go around and tear down people's decorations because they feel it necessary to decorate in November? Absolutely not. To each their own. If you feel that you cannot make it the entire month of November without putting up decorations, that's your problem. Am I going to ridicule them for it? Quite possibly. Especially if they are good friends and they know my stance on the situation. My question to those who decorate so early: how long does it take to get use to them being up? How long until your decorations don't make you stop and look at them? When do they become just another fixture on the wall that you stop noticing?
It is easy to want to put up the Christmas tree in November when it is an artificial one. You don't have to worry about the needles falling out or keeping it watered or having live critters (sorry for the Scandinavian subtitles on the link) coming out of the woodwork. We always had a real tree for Christmas growing up, so we had to wait to put it up because you didn't want to have bare limbs by Christmas morning. We got our first artificial tree living down in Wichita for two reasons. One: it was on clearance when we purchased it. Two: real trees were hella expensive down there. I don't know if you all know this or not, but Kansas isn't well known for it's trees. I mean, sure, they have one or two around the state, but not a ton to pick and choose from when it comes to Christmas trees. And the trees that are for purchase were cut down so long ago, that no matter how much water you put into the tree stand, it wouldn't last. Despite the fact that we have an artificial, our tree never goes up before December first.
Who wants happy winter decorations before the snow falls anyway? Looking outside right now, it is sunny (but cold). The grass is transitioning from green to brown. The leaves are all off the trees. It looks like fall out there. Fall. Not winter. The snow on the ground and trees makes everything look pure and happy. That is when you want to put up the decorations. Once the snow is on the ground to stay. One problem is that there is no full on holiday in between Halloween and Christmas in which people can go all out with decorations. You can decorate for the fall, but it is just a bridge between the two major holidays. Sure, you can decorate for Thanksgiving, but how many cornucopias can you put up in the house?
The retail industry is definitely a root cause to this problem. It seems that the minute Halloween decorations are being sold in stores, there is a small section of Christmas as well. Usually in the back corner somewhere, but then it starts to creep. Slowly gaining more and more space as October turns into November. It spreads like a zombie virus. Before you know it, you are hearing Christmas music playing in all the stores. On November third. The long three day transition from Halloween to Christmas is complete.
Am I going to go around and tear down people's decorations because they feel it necessary to decorate in November? Absolutely not. To each their own. If you feel that you cannot make it the entire month of November without putting up decorations, that's your problem. Am I going to ridicule them for it? Quite possibly. Especially if they are good friends and they know my stance on the situation. My question to those who decorate so early: how long does it take to get use to them being up? How long until your decorations don't make you stop and look at them? When do they become just another fixture on the wall that you stop noticing?
06 November 2013
Time For Change. Time For Opportunity.
On 17 November 2013, I will complete my career at Target. Seven years and nine months. My first post college job that started as a desperate reach for money and employment and ended up being the start of a retail career. Retail is not what I went to college for, but this is the hand I was dealt. My mom once told me that retail was in my blood. I don't regret the college path I took, I only regret not being able to find a job in my field after college. This job introduced me to many people and I made some great friends along the way. But here's the thing, nothing was wholly wrong with the job. So why the change?
I could have worked for Target for the rest of my working life if I wanted to. A solid company that will probably never go away. I had found my little niche in the food world of retail. I worked with food vendors every day (which had it's pluses and minuses), I settled into being the 'food guy' at work, I knew the ins and outs of food safety and how best to drive sales and make it profitable. All the information I needed to run a successful grocery department was in my head. But therein lies the problem. I found myself occasionally not being challenged at work. It became too much of a routine that wasn't always fun. The excitement and newness eventually wore off. A safe job as everyone needs food.
So if it was such a safe and secure job, why leave it? Challenge and opportunity are the big things. I needed something more. Something different. Something new. And the job I found, I think will give me that. Once you reach the point when you no longer feel challenged at work, how long do you hold onto that job? If you are comfortable in your job, by all means, stay there. Especially if that is what you want to do. Me? I never thought of retail as a career so I feel more flexible and willing to move on when I want to. When I first started looking around at other employers, I did look at actual grocery stores. I looked at the local chains and even Trader Joe's. I sent out applications, but was rejected by them all. I hit a low point, feeling defeated. If I couldn't get a grocery manager/assistant manager job with over seven years of experience, what would it take?
It was a steady job, but there are only so many times you can listen to 'You're a great worker and a strong leader.' just to see the advancement opportunity go to someone else because they are more of a yes man than actual leader that gets their job done. You can only work your ass off for so many years to see little ground gained in the opportunity and development departments. You can only watch so many bosses get recruited right out of college not prepared for the retail world and watch them flounder through it, much to your stress and patience. I had gotten to the point where I want to do more with a company, and I tried several times with Target to do more only to have been turned away. So I gave up on it and accepted my role within my store. Again, a moral defeat. However, I eventually took that defeat and turned it on it's head. If I'm afforded the opportunity to work somewhere else that will help me develop into something more right out of the gate, what is keeping me at my current job? The security blanket of being a large company. That was about it.
I accepted a job with World Market over this past weekend. Is it still retail? Yes. It will be quite a change of pace from Target. Not as busy, but I will be able to spend more time working on developing an area into a profitable one. Own your area is the phrase that was thrown around at Target, but as busy as the days were, it was tough to do. You can't be in your area when you are running around the store plugging the holes in the dam. A smaller company and smaller store can afford me that time to do so. Going from a company that has almost 1,900 stores to a company that has close to 300 might sound like a bad idea, but opportunity to grow with a smaller company is something that I was looking for. Ideally, I would go work for an independent store just because it would be the ultimate 'own what you do' experience short of owning your own business.
Sometimes you need to look at opportunities and take a leap. If you don't take that leap, you might look back and think 'what if....'. Change is a scary thing. This change could be the best thing for me down the road, but it could also be a mistake. I wouldn't ever know if I sat on my hands and didn't leap. Don't let the fear make your mind up for you. Take that step. Don't fear the unknown, embrace it with open arms. It might be the change you were looking for.
I could have worked for Target for the rest of my working life if I wanted to. A solid company that will probably never go away. I had found my little niche in the food world of retail. I worked with food vendors every day (which had it's pluses and minuses), I settled into being the 'food guy' at work, I knew the ins and outs of food safety and how best to drive sales and make it profitable. All the information I needed to run a successful grocery department was in my head. But therein lies the problem. I found myself occasionally not being challenged at work. It became too much of a routine that wasn't always fun. The excitement and newness eventually wore off. A safe job as everyone needs food.
So if it was such a safe and secure job, why leave it? Challenge and opportunity are the big things. I needed something more. Something different. Something new. And the job I found, I think will give me that. Once you reach the point when you no longer feel challenged at work, how long do you hold onto that job? If you are comfortable in your job, by all means, stay there. Especially if that is what you want to do. Me? I never thought of retail as a career so I feel more flexible and willing to move on when I want to. When I first started looking around at other employers, I did look at actual grocery stores. I looked at the local chains and even Trader Joe's. I sent out applications, but was rejected by them all. I hit a low point, feeling defeated. If I couldn't get a grocery manager/assistant manager job with over seven years of experience, what would it take?
It was a steady job, but there are only so many times you can listen to 'You're a great worker and a strong leader.' just to see the advancement opportunity go to someone else because they are more of a yes man than actual leader that gets their job done. You can only work your ass off for so many years to see little ground gained in the opportunity and development departments. You can only watch so many bosses get recruited right out of college not prepared for the retail world and watch them flounder through it, much to your stress and patience. I had gotten to the point where I want to do more with a company, and I tried several times with Target to do more only to have been turned away. So I gave up on it and accepted my role within my store. Again, a moral defeat. However, I eventually took that defeat and turned it on it's head. If I'm afforded the opportunity to work somewhere else that will help me develop into something more right out of the gate, what is keeping me at my current job? The security blanket of being a large company. That was about it.
I accepted a job with World Market over this past weekend. Is it still retail? Yes. It will be quite a change of pace from Target. Not as busy, but I will be able to spend more time working on developing an area into a profitable one. Own your area is the phrase that was thrown around at Target, but as busy as the days were, it was tough to do. You can't be in your area when you are running around the store plugging the holes in the dam. A smaller company and smaller store can afford me that time to do so. Going from a company that has almost 1,900 stores to a company that has close to 300 might sound like a bad idea, but opportunity to grow with a smaller company is something that I was looking for. Ideally, I would go work for an independent store just because it would be the ultimate 'own what you do' experience short of owning your own business.
Sometimes you need to look at opportunities and take a leap. If you don't take that leap, you might look back and think 'what if....'. Change is a scary thing. This change could be the best thing for me down the road, but it could also be a mistake. I wouldn't ever know if I sat on my hands and didn't leap. Don't let the fear make your mind up for you. Take that step. Don't fear the unknown, embrace it with open arms. It might be the change you were looking for.
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