lowkee
Lieutenant Commander
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2008
- Messages
- 1,890
Re: Rethinking Christmas consumerism
I woke up from the Christmas fraud about 10 years ago and educated my wife on it when we met. Funny how at an early age you figure out everyone around you has flat out lied to you about a person who never existed, only to continue the commercial aspect of the holiday just because everyone around you guilts you into exchanging crap and spending money you should be saving for stuff you actually need. So, for 10 years I've bought what i wanted as I wanted it, and other around me don't buy me crap I don't want with their money. I am even light many head-in-the-sand acquaintances as a bonus. I give to charity when I feel I should, not when I'm told to. Sadly, my family still struggles with my refusing to partake in the sham and I sometimes get a check in the mail to which gets a big VOID written across and shredded. I enjoy family and fun all year long, not a 'gift' and a well-wish one day in December.
I say happy holidays to people because it is fun to have a tradition of lights and trees and feasts. Why ruin it by lumping guilt, debt and lies into the mix?
I woke up from the Christmas fraud about 10 years ago and educated my wife on it when we met. Funny how at an early age you figure out everyone around you has flat out lied to you about a person who never existed, only to continue the commercial aspect of the holiday just because everyone around you guilts you into exchanging crap and spending money you should be saving for stuff you actually need. So, for 10 years I've bought what i wanted as I wanted it, and other around me don't buy me crap I don't want with their money. I am even light many head-in-the-sand acquaintances as a bonus. I give to charity when I feel I should, not when I'm told to. Sadly, my family still struggles with my refusing to partake in the sham and I sometimes get a check in the mail to which gets a big VOID written across and shredded. I enjoy family and fun all year long, not a 'gift' and a well-wish one day in December.
I say happy holidays to people because it is fun to have a tradition of lights and trees and feasts. Why ruin it by lumping guilt, debt and lies into the mix?
......but I don't necessarily like feeling obligated to giving gifts and I don't want anyone to feel obligated to giving me a gift. But even the giving and receiving of gifts in and of itself is not the problem. It's the change in focus.....like you have to buy Christmas in order for it to happen. I mean, what if I don't buy a tree, don't buy lights, don't buy gifts....will Christmas still be special? What if nobody bought anything to help celebrate Christmas...what would happen? And maybe that statement is the root of the problem for me.....the things we used to use to help celebrate Christmas and show our Christmas spirit somehow became Christmas. Took it's identity, if you will. It's almost like we are worshipping a false idol. Suddenly it's not about looking out for your fellow man (or woman, Ladyfish), it's about getting stuff. Whether the stuff is for you or for you to give to someone else is inmaterial if you are fighting someone else for it. For a season that is supposed to be in celebration of the birth of a man who was epic in his ability to give for his fellow man(or woman, Ladyfish) it seems to me to have gotten awfully selfish and materialistic for the most part. And I'm just as guilty as anyone else. Except I won't fight you for that last hard to find "must have" on the shelf...I will gladly let you have it and smile.
