Amazon Prime Day used to mean something. When I was young, my family would joyfully celebrate the legacy of a mega-corporation that runs hundreds of Mom and Pop stores out of business every year. Now, though, it’s just become so commercialized.
The story of Amazon Prime Day is woven into the fabric of America. It’s the humble tale of Jeff Bezos, a Princeton grad and former Wall Street broker, who had a modest dream to birth the largest Internet shopping conglomerate in the world. Jeff went all over Seattle, hoping to set up shop, but there was no room for him; all of the inns and small brick and mortar businesses were occupied. But the prophecy foretold that he would create something special, and he did: a huge, behemoth monopoly designed to eliminate all competition and deliver us cheap goods, shipped directly to our homes.
On Prime Day Eve, my parents would gather us around the hearth, our Kunyida Pack 4 Unique Knit Stockings stuffed with treats. We’d bake Prime Day cookies for our neighbors on our BPA-Free Nonstick Cookie Sheets with Silicone Handles. Some of them celebrated other holidays, like Target Deal Days or Walmart’s Big Save. We didn’t judge or exclude them; we simply wished them “Season’s greetings!” and moved along.
I loved arranging the Prime Day Nativity Scene. It was a beautiful little creche with a figurine of a balding man sitting in front of a computer surrounded by mini cardboard boxes, dreaming of ways to absolutely obliterate the free market. I would also stay up late, wondering if one of Jeff’s little helpers would bring us something within the projected delivery time. They are famous for working hard and for very long hours. Sometimes they were so busy delivering presents they couldn’t take a break to use a restroom, so they would just pee in bottles instead. Talk about dedication!
Our family was cut straight from a Rockwell painting, all of us huddled together by our Amazon Basics Outdoor Patio Heater, while Jeff made more money per hour than we would ever make in our lifetimes. But we knew he made the ultimate sacrifice for us — eliminating delivery delays — and so we honored him with a $117 yearly tithe to thank him for his saving grace.
Still now, when I think about Amazon Prime Day, it saddens me to see how the holiday has become so cheapened. It’s all about getting the best deals, and no one stops to think about the true reason for the season: absolutely destroying independent bookstores.