Shopping and Black Friday - out of sync

I am sorry to offend anyone but I don't get Black Friday. If I needed a new flat screen TV maybe. The older I get the less I like crowds and the less I actually need to buy. My niece had to be at work at Starbucks at 4am to serve the shoppers and in fact worked Thanksgiving as well. OK, I admit it, I went by a Starbucks on Thanksgiving to get my latte and because of me, those workers had to be there. I could have boycotted Starbucks on Thanksgiving but I really wanted a latte. Gotcha, I am part of the dynamic. In the good 'ole days, retail stores were closed ALL DAY on Thanksgiving.

On NPR yesterday was an interesting article about discounted purchasing. Yes, in the good 'ole days, rarely were things discounted, and I am old enough to remember those days. We have created box stores and Black Friday shopping. Again, I don't want to offend anyone who participated yesterday, since that is their entertainment and choice and maybe need to save money. Even if I wanted or needed something I would have never ventured out yesterday to get it. There are other areas that I am out of sync like downsizing rather than thinking about a McMansion. Less stuff not more stuff.

So, for all those Black Friday shoppers, I hope you scored some great deals and got what you wanted and had a good time.

Stellar Customer Service - Naked Fish Waltham

Today at lunch with E., the waitress dropped a cup of hot water in the middle of our table. It was not really a big deal at all since we had not been served our meal yet, and the water did not get us that wet or even burn us. In fact, I had forgotten that this happened. When we asked for the check the waitress said that lunch was on them, and said that management insisted.

We of course left a really big tip and I will tell many people that story. In fact anyone who reads my blog or the NOTE feed to facebook has a chance of reading about this. I already go to Naked Fish a lot for their blackened scallop salad (BTW, if you have never tried it, DO!). I might go more frequently because of the waitress's and her manager's gesture today.

I wonder why more people don't get the value of great customer service? Zappos gets it, Southwest gets it and today Naked Fish in Waltham got it today.

Gossip - what a topic!

The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls." ~

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (born November 12, 1815)

Gossip was our topic last night in our covenant group. One of the members sent out this quote to share with us after the discussion. It resonated with me and is now my quote of the day.

There were many complexities of this topic and the ones that stuck with me were:

1) there is a subtle or maybe not so subtle difference between sharing information and gossiping and one lens to look at is through is what was the intent. A malicious intent is gossiping

2) Some of us were treated not so nicely in our childhoods by people talking behind our back and spreading rumors (middle school aged kids can be so mean as they sort out the pecking order) and this colors our reaction to whether it is gossip, and therefore hurtful or just sharing of knowledge.

3) I thought this would be a rather shallow topic and once again was surprised by the covenant group process. Take a seemingly shallow topic, put a trusting group of people in a circle, listen to each other, shift and move your thinking based on what you hear and say and after 90 minutes, you know those people better and you know yourself better.

For me, I have developed a little tougher exterior to what might be being said behind my back. I don't view it as gossip but rather that person's perception of me. Their story that they need to tell others. Often it is not about me but about them.

So how do you share information about others without it being perceived as gossiping and hurtful? I think I know gossip when I see it, but will look at it with lenses of intent and insecurity.