Black Friday

I don’t have cable TV, I don’t have the newspaper delivered and I don’t often check news on the internet, but, even though I live just outside the threshold of a cave, I couldn’t avoid the fact that today was Black Friday.  Over the last few days, I’ve deleted hundreds of emails meant to hype up big sales, bargains, and the need for “something”.

So, this morning, I woke up early and dressed warmly in comfortable clothes.  I knew the weather would be frosty and I would enjoy unrestricted movement.  By 5:30 am, I took to the road along with several other early birds.  I had a hunch we weren’t headed to the same place, though.

I prefer the roads less traveled

The old me would scour the Thanksgiving day ads, looking for good deals, mapping out the stops.  I was married then, and it was a morning out without the kids.  We picked up some gifts we normally couldn’t afford and ended the frenzy by relaxing at Starbucks; he drank coffee and I sipped fruity tea.

The new me feels a heavy burden in “stuff”.  Last year, as I prepared to downsize from a too-large house to a manageable one, I spent many weeks sorting through things and weighing necessity vs. nicety. Now, I don’t look for good deals or things to buy.  I shop when I know what I want to buy and that’s it.

Today, instead of fighting crowds in stores, I traveled to the Mogollon Rim to catch a sunrise.  I’ve talked about doing that for a long time.  For me, it’s the time just before sunrise that I find most appealing.  I used to anticipate the gradual fading of darkness into streaks of orange and although a picture doesn’t do the moment justice, I’ve taken my fair share over the years.

Sunrise on Mogollon Rim

Today, I took the pictures.  Maybe tomorrow I will feel the joy of anticipation again.