It has been years, since I was so hooked on to so many tabs at the same time in a web browser, and every boy would get this when I say that. I was sulking in front of my laptop , looking out of the window to see a bright yellow IKEA hoarding . My heart was racing, my mind horse riding , galloping from one tab to another as I religiously hunted the next window where I can 'add-to-cart' and prepare steps for bankruptcy. Thanksgiving is an Online epidemic which causes wallet diarrhea. In other terms, it brings an exclusive season of self pampering by making you feel it is right to do so, cos its Thanksgiving.
Funnily, the moment I step foot in this place, I was preparing for this very thing to happen. The excitement of searching for a particular product, finding it, looking up the price, and ordering it and the moment the order confirmation comes is an online orgasm for the virtual shopper. Every tom dick and harry enjoys this whirlpool of emotions in the privacy of their homes. At one point time . I apparently shouted saying, "Yes,Hurray,Ha-Ha" when I realized I was all alone and time was 10.00 pm. Ever since, I suspect my neighbor cautiously keeps ten steps away from me. The moment you place an order, the next symptom of this disease is when you can't wait to shamelessly boast to all the contacts in your phone that you landed a profitable deal. Boy, for a person, who doesn't eat the turkey and spend a deliberate moment to convey thanks to near and dear, as in the real spirit of Thanksgiving, all one cares about is how they can effectively spend their money and buy the right products at the right place for the right price. It was an exciting & nerve wracking three days. Adding to our own insecurities in not missing out on cool deals, there will be an inflow of people voluntarily coming and poking your otherwise peaceful state of being into splurging from pen drives to air fryers and what not. Not to forget , those sudden people in your life who become suspiciously friendly around this period, inquiring your well being until they come up with a request to buy a latest Apple product because it was available at an unbelievable price.
It's a period of planned Chaos.
While the online world is a frenzied place by itself, the stores equally present a scene of pandemonium . Have you seen Animal Planet , where wild buffaloes and striped zebras run as a herd, raising mountains of sand and dust into the air when a ferocious prey was at its back trying to take a pound of its flesh? It is pretty much the same scene at these famous outlets, during this period. People, cover themselves up with winter wear, bring toothpaste, mouth wash, power banks and their prized wads of cash and credit cards, waiting to be swiped at the cash counter like a bumbling band of baboons scratching their backs on the barks of trees. No amount of swipe would be enough. Finally, when they got their hands on their product, they will stomp out with a pride giving them a good night's sleep. Sometimes, the situation gets a bit out of hand, when these retailers deliberately place lesser quantities of a certain product that they know will attract people like moth to a fire. Physical altercations, verbal assaults , loose strands of hair and apathy at the fellow desperado are some of the popular after effects. If the websites didn't do enough damage, they also send notifications through mobiles killing the last nerve of self control. Every first timer will appear like they have had shots of caffeine , during this time. The amateur e shoppers vicariously derive sadistic pleasure out of the first-timers on how they hopelessly keep piling up goods and products, only to realize in hindsight that 'the cart' became heavier than they can pull. These people buy only what they want and watch the whole world burn as they watch the latest movie in the super large LED TV they themselves purchased in the previous thanksgiving.The aftershocks extend into the next week as well, in the name of CyberMonday which is an exclusive period of more online sinning.
Some websites crash due to the humongous online traffic , causing a flurry of posts in social media spreading aimless panic that a certain website is down. To add insult to injury are instances when our online orders get cancelled due to some internet overload and we have to re-order items, as we double pay for the same product in the hopes we will somehow get it. All this brouhaha finally ameliorates over the week , as people eagerly wait for their online orders to be dispatched and delivered like hens sitting over eggs. Similar to how, I am expecting a product for myself around this weekend. Oh boy, gone are those days when shopping used to be driven by need, and occasions. These days, a click is all it takes, followed by an inflated sense of vanity that they bought something trendy not realizing the hours that went into building up the resource required to buy this product. This tsunami of overwhelming waves of urge to drive in this popular highway to hell tests our mental sturdiness even as the fear of missing out secretly haunts us from the confines of our living rooms.
ThanksGiving, is indeed a period when we 'Cart' the 'Wallet' out of ourselves and is a sinful pleasure everyone commits every year , even as the vicious Internet Shopping Model feeds off on our endless servility.
That's cutely sad..you had to get through all this..yes, am trying hard not to laugh..
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