Happy Boxing Day, poppets.

If you are reading this, chances are you are preparing to tackle, or have survived what is quite possibly the greatest and possibly most dangerous sporting event of the year.

The Boxing Day sales. Seriously.

Negotiating your way through the masses of manchester-starved women looking for the Holy Grail of sheets,(high tread count, Egyptian cotton, for about the cost of a coffee), those crazy people who go nut buying MORE Christmas lights (like there might be a ban or something on them next year) and those lost souls who somehow found themselves in the midst of the busiest shopping day of the year and stop without warning in the middle of the thoroughfare every two seconds.

It requires strategy, a strong dose of courage, planning, training, sensible clothing (you need to be able to whip it on and off quickly in the change rooms otherwise the ravenous pack of credit card-holding women waiting outside may attack) and the cunning of a snake.

Seriously, Blade Runner has nothing on the Boxing Day sales.

So if you have survived all that, I take my hat off to you.

I am sitting at work, probably a little frazzled after trying to interview shoppers. If I still have my hands, I’ll be back writing another column next week.

Who knows though – you risk life and limb going out there.

Or maybe you are at the beach.

Actually, looking out the window right now, chances are it is still overcast and most red-blooded Queenslanders choose to stay inside if the temp drops below 25 degrees or there is a chance they could get wet without actually planning for it.

So maybe you are just sitting at home, recovering from the mother of all feasts and looking at the left overs with a marked look of resignation.

As long as you are not watching the cricket.

There is a lot of summer left and a lot of other chances to sit on the couch with a beer and watch other people play some sport, but unless you are actually at the game, then turn off the TV and spend some time with your family. I’m pretty sure that is what the players themselves would be choosing to do if they had the choice.

Most of them are probably pretty crabby that they couldn’t have a big Christmas because they had to roll out of bed and go to work.

I’m sure if they could do what they wanted, they would be at home, looking at the left overs with a marked look of resignation, wishing the kids would be quiet.

And then they would probably roll off the couch, go play with the kids, have a drink with some friends, watch their significant others buzz around the house pretending to clean and debate the merits of that last prawn.

That is of course, if they made it through the Boxing Day sales alive.

And before you get your new Rios five pack briefs in a knot, this is nothing against cricket, the players, their sportsmanship, looks, shoe size, spelling ability or anything else.

It’s just, I think today is a day to think about what is really important.

That being shopp...opps, I mean your family and loved ones.

And if you are lucky enough to have the whole day off then you should be doing something meaningful, not something that you can watch in highlights later tonight.