Black Friday has be one of the greatest inventions ever. People are compelled to stand in lines in the wee hours of the morning, not to get anything free but, ironically, to spend money! And yes, I am one of those willing to brave the cold just so I can say that I stood in line at Circuit City to get a plasma TV for half price while the other suckers are paying full price, all because they were scared of a little cool air.

But here’s what I can’t stand about Black Friday shopping – the whiners. Those who whine about standing in the cold, those who whine because the store opened three seconds late, and especially those who whine because someone outsmarted them.

If I can somehow outsmart you and get into the store before you, who’s to say that’s unfair? Everyone’s mission on Black Friday is to get that one item they’ve been waiting for all year. That’s why I go for the gold every time. Black Friday is like the Olympics of shopping – so many athletes show up, but only so many get the gold.

As a 20-year-old college student in my prime, I admit I do have an advantage, I’m used to cold days trucking across the nation’s biggest campus. But if grandma next to me is snoozing, not paying attention, I’ll slide through the door before her – it’s only fair.

I know line jumping is not something we’d tolerate on a normal day, but this is not your typical shopping day. I once was a civil, law-abiding line person until one year my hope of getting my 1-year-old nephew the Elmo of his dreams was dashed. Right as the clock read 5:59 a.m. people began appearing out of everywhere – bushes, cars, hell probably trash cans. These were the infamous line jumpers I’ve heard of. Though managers tried to keep them from descending onto the line like a pack of vultures, there was no stopping them. That year, they won and outsmarted us all. And I vowed to never be outsmarted again.

Some of you might say, “That’s outright wrong.” But is it? Or did they just win by being smarter? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an outright line jumper, pushing down grannies for the bargain of the day. Let’s just say I know how to play this game of shopping and I know how to play it well.

Jamila Williams can be reached at [email protected].