Until last year I would have wholeheartedly agreed with those who think it is nuts to get up in the wee hours to stand in a long line to spend money on Black Friday. But my opinion changed.

A computer laptop that ran Windows 7 was on sale by a popular retailer for $198. For that price, I would stand in line: Black Friday, here I come!

After a two-hour nap it was time to leave for the adventure. With a detour through the drive-thru for coffee and breakfast, we made it to the store about 2:30 a.m. We were 20th in line.

That’s right — 2:30 a.m., and we were number 20. Almost too late!

What happened next changed my outlook on this yearly event forever.

We were in line with strangers for 21/2 hours. And we started to talk.

The man directly in front of us told how his mother had recently passed away, and he was in town to take care of the now-vacant house.

He told about his children and how he wanted to be able to do something nice for them that year. He wanted to encourage their education and because of this sale, he could do that by getting them computers from Santa Claus.

He also shared he was recently diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, and the prognosis ensured this would be his last time to celebrate this season with his loved ones. The urgency to help his family was evident in his voice.

Another shopper was from Romania, and he regaled us with tales of growing up in a very different environment. He was now living in the Bronx in New York, but was in town on business and wanted to learn how to use a computer.

He wanted to learn email so his phone bill wouldn’t be so expensive from calling his family abroad.

Farther ahead of us were two young men decked out in their high school gymnastics team uniforms.

They passed the time balancing on the shopping carts and performing other feats of strength and dexterity. They were there to get computers for their entrance into college next year.

The woman behind us wanted to give her grandchild a hand up when she started middle school. The only way she could afford to do so on her fixed income was with this sale. She had planned this night since the store flier came in her newspaper. She wasn’t about to miss out.

As time approached for the sale to begin, and the lines started growing in number, one woman remarked, “Our line is tight. There’s no way anyone can cut in front of us. We’d spot them in an instant.”

I got in line to save some money and take advantage of an opportunity, but a funny thing happened.

At the front door of the store, the man with lung cancer saw me, came over, grabbed my hand and said, “Your family is wonderful, ya’ll got something special going on. I wish you many years of happiness together, and you make sure to remember them all. This is my last one, and I’m glad we met. Merry Christmas.”

I got my computer. I also left the store with something I consider much more valuable — that thing called the Christmas spirit.

My heart, like the Grinch’s, grew three sizes that Black Friday.

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Ken Grimm can be reached at [email protected]. This column was distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.