Friday, November 26, 2010

Feeling Like Scrooge

Is anyone else as annoyed as I am by the over the top commercialization of the holidays? Stores opening at 3 am or staying open all night. Give-aways such as laptop computers and deals, deals, deals. Does the future of our capitalist society depend on people spending more money than they have on Christmas?

I'm for simplicity - for several years, I have given few presents. It is about being together with those we love, not how many gifts we give or get. This year I am trying to make most of the things I give or send money to worthy causes, or give money to my children who struggle to get by. How many digital cameras, or fancy kitchen gadgets, or electronic this or that do people need when much of the world struggles just to eat.

Is this what happened to the Roman Empire? Are we so caught up in our own greed that we can't open our hearts to those who need our help?

1 comment:

  1. I am inclined to agree with you, ML. The western capitalist model does seem to have reached the pinnacle of a kind of baroque excess phase. And historical cycles show that decline follows. tragedy is that developing countries are altering their traditions to fit western materialism. The madness and commercial clamor is really unsettling to me and every day I feel so blessed that I am not in a city where it comes at you so much more. Here my my little toy town mountain town I just shake my head at the rainforests of advertizing inserts in the papers and the piles of catalogues in my mailbox. I am glad I am not alone in the urge to homemade, meaningful and worthy.

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