I did my best to pretend that yesterday wasn’t Black Friday, but by the end of the day I caved and went online. And yes, there was the hysteria I remember from years gone by, or at least a virtual version of it made possible by pop-ups, reminders that there are “only five left … order soon!” and countdown clocks.

It’s the clocks that affected me most, their hours, minutes and seconds all winding down to midnight. Perhaps because I’m time-sensitive, accustomed to packing as much as I can into whatever time I have. Why should shopping be any different?

Well … because it should, that’s why. It should be a deliberative process — not the digital equivalent of pawing through lingerie in Macy’s basement. 

But darned if the online marketers didn’t figure out a way to make us care … and rush. 

Black Friday — it runs through Sunday, from what I hear.

(A real shopping experience, complete with masks.)