Black Friday Shopper Has Unique Cure For His Divorce Stress
In last week’s post, we wrote about the fact that the holiday season can be especially difficult for people going through a divorce. The period of time that stretches from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is “supposed” to be joyful and filled with the love of family and friends.
That’s why divorce (which is difficult at any time of year) seems to be especially difficult during a season that promotes cheer, generosity and, of course, commercialism. Late last week, one man made national news when he tried to relieve his divorce stress by giving to others in a very unconventional way.
The day was Black Friday; the busiest shopping day of the year. The place was the Mall of America in Minnesota; the biggest shopping mall in the United States. While shoppers gathered in a courtyard-like area on the first floor to listen to a live music performance, the 29-year-old man was up above on the fourth floor. To the strains of “Let It Snow,” he began to blanket the crowd below with a thousand $1 bills.
In a video he posted to YouTube, the man explained why he chose to be generous in this way. He said: “I had a really tough year, and my story is that I just threw out my last $1,000. You know, I didn’t have enough money for a lot of things. And I’m going through a horrible divorce, and she even took the cat and won’t tell me where it is. I thought I’d just spread some holiday cheer, be positive and kind of pay it forward.”
It is unclear what the shoppers thought about his stunt (although it would be hard to get angry about free money), but mall security did not appreciate his gesture. He was cited for disorderly conduct.
While his approach may have been controversial, his message is one that could be helpful to everyone facing a divorce at the holidays. It is easy to isolate and to feel sorry for ourselves, but this may not do us any good. By focusing on bringing joy to others during the holiday season, we may be able to reclaim some of the joy we seem to have lost during the divorce.
Source: Huffington Post, “Why This Man Tossed His Last $1,000 Into A Crowd At The Mall Of America,” Dec. 3, 2013
