As most people are, you’re probably very giddy about going home for Thanksgiving. Whether you’re from different parts of the state, out-of-state or anywhere in between, everyone is excited for a big, scrumptious dinner with friends and family.

Personally, I’ve been to two Thanksgiving dinners myself thanks to some friends of mine. But, I’ve never ever been a participant in the Black Friday tradition that we all know and love. I feel a little left out actually for the fact that I’ve never physically fought with someone over an item that I could probably purchase anytime. I don’t know if things like that still happen, but I hope they do.

Here’s why: Americans are opportunists and they will go forth and claim what is rightfully theirs regardless of how they do it. Most people claim that Black Friday is a bad reflection of what American society represents. I say that they’re wrong and that this tradition should be carried out each and every year.

“We live in a cynical world,” as quoted in “Jerry Maguire,” and I do believe that for a fact. Everyone in our lives, whether they’re teachers or our parents, have told us to go and grab what we want in life because no one is going to give it to us on a silver platter. If you desire or long for something, you have to work hard and fight for it or someone else is going to steal it right from your hands.

Isn’t that what Black Friday is essentially all about? Taking away the fact that it’s discounted items on sale that lure us in, we have to be ruthless enough to stake our claim in this dog-eat-dog world. I, myself, have lost plenty of chances and opportunities in front of me because I didn’t fight for it, and I have to live with that feeling of regret in my soul. Black Friday is not about the materialistic side of us; it’s about the willingness to pursue happiness in different forms of materials to prove that each and every one of us deserves to have it.

We are fighting all the time in our daily lives, and we have to keep fighting or we’ll be stagnant and die. People are meant to progress forward by developing leadership skills and the capacity to battle for what is right. Nobody ever got far in life without stepping on a few toes every now and then; that’s just what is required if you want to succeed in this game.

So, for this year’s Thanksgiving meal, I want you to eat up and eat well. Feast on your turkey and mashed potatoes and casseroles, for the next day you are going to war. Whether it’s a new TV or a cashmere sweater, you owe it to yourself to get whatever your heart desires because God forbid that every human being is unable to obtain happiness in their one and only lifetime. Huzzah!