Sales to Die For

It once puzzled me that people would wish each other a "Happy Memorial Day." I guess it could be happy; it should be happy, but still, happy is not what one immediately thinks of in conjunction with death. Well, depends on whose death, I guess.



There has to be another word that incorporates pride, joy of living, patriotism, courage, apples, pie, mom, and the girl next door. The girl next door, by the way, is probably serving a tour in Afghanistan as I write this. Possibly with mom.



No, as good as that sounds to me, it is not true. I discovered the true happiness of Memorial Day. Summed up in one word, "SALES."



Good men and women died, and are still in harms way, so that you could by a big screen TV at 40% off. At least the TV store-place could have you sign a promise that, at that price, you would watch at least 5 hours a week of the History Channel.



Oh, and the beautiful stainless-steel refrigerator/freezer with the French doors, view of the Riviera not included, at 50% off and they will throw in a free ice machine for your Memorial Day picnic. Here you have to promise, to get the 50% off price and the ice machine, to keep at least a case of beer cold should any veterans drop by for the picnic. I like Guinness, by the way.



Don't get me started on car sales for Memorial Day. We demolished both Germany and Japan during "The Big One," known to most of us as WW II. Yet, look at our highways and parking lots and driveways and count the numbers of Volkswagens, Mercedes, Toyotas, Suzukis, and so forth. Should we just keep them Parked on memorial Day? Hey, maybe this would be a great opportunity to get a good old American Ford or Chevy at a great sale price to replace that foreign-made vehicle. Though, it is really hard to tell where any car or its parts are really made these days. Still. A new car at a great price sounds nice, doesn't it?



Are gigantic sales part of the freedoms brave men and women died to preserve? Yes, in a way. Still, of all the freedoms they helped preserve, the sales are the ones we concentrate on during this most somber, and most revered, holiday.



Perhaps we should purchase patriotic things, or things dealing with service, or military items. Is there a sale on MREs that anyone knows of? Or, a case of the old C-Rations, if you can find some. A Memorial Day Gun Show with bang-up prices would certainly be welcome. Will there be a run on camouflage casual wear sales?



Get out and enjoy the holiday activities, have a happy Memorial Day; go to the parades; go boating, and don't forget the sales. Eat Burgers, Hot Dogs; Drink Beer, domestic, of course, and toast a veteran, or one who did not return to enjoy the day with you. Have a bona fide, genuine all-American holiday weekend, a most enjoyable one. Somewhere, however, in all the happiness, and the joy and the sales, toss a somber thought toward those who died for all we enjoy in this most wonderful, though humanly flawed, country in which we live.