17 Nov 05 113223667612249300
Everything was going well until she decided to come home. What peer-pressure, intimidation, guilt and coercion could not accomplish was accomplished in one phone call with these words: “Change of plans I’m coming home.”
Christmas with the Cranks. There is a film version and a book version. One wonders how long before the musical version? I thought the film was entertaining. It brought a few thoughts to mind.
Don’t lose control this holiday season. The Cranks tried but ultimately failed. Christmas is not about meeting the expectations of your neighbors, your co-workers, your families, or even yourself.
We receive all these messages to spend, spend, spend - buy, buy, buy – that nothing shows your love like huge amounts of credit card debt for a one day forced feeling of happiness.
I am no against the celebration of Christmas. I’m becoming more and more aware of the celebration of excess. Retail industries push the holiday season upon us earlier and earlier each year. When did your retail stores start displaying Christmas stuff?
Marketing campaigns feed our addiction for validation through our purchasing power which enables us to lavishly spend money we can‚Äôt afford. Neither am I immune to the seductive power of buy now pay later. I’ve purchased my share (and probably yours) of musical things.
I‚Äôm not saying it is a sin to purchase Christmas presents for others. I‚Äôm saying it’s sinful to have so much, to add even more, when others have nothing.
Could we not think of some way to help someone else this year for Christmas? Could we not think of some way to show your love for someone without mortgaging our future?
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Good post. Last year Don challenge us to keep at least $50 in cash on us and look for (after praying about it) a way during the holiday season to bless someone that we didn’t know.
Maybe it takes some specific instructions to avoid the trap of “Christmas decorations in stores before Halloween.”
pyming (I’m “pyming” my time before my next comment.)
I go through this same angst every year at this time, and have considered telling people I’m taking the money I’d spend on you and helping the less fortunate. But I’ve only considered it … never actually done it. Probably won’t this year either, to be honest. But I do have this cognitive dissonance each year.
jzbiixku (the perfect gift for people who have everything … costs practically nothing)
The weirdness of Christmas spending always amazes me. Here’s an interesting thing that has been happening the last few years: gift cards. People get me Best Buy cards because they know I love to shop there. And we buy Best Buy cards for others that WE know love to shop there. So we exchange the exact same thing. I’m not sure why we don’t just all go to Best Buy together and spend our own money.
rwoczjst (I don’t know, but any wv that starts with rw can’t be bad)
I have a “daily thoughts” calendar on my desk, and one of them is “You Can’t Have Everything….Where Would You Put It?” It’s the sort of thing that causes us to have to clean out attics, garages, closets, drawers.
I identify with the angst. When I pass a mall at holiday time, before I even go in, two things happen. 1) My legs start hurting; and 2) My stomach aches at the thought of all the money being spent.
Lots of Christmases, Doris and I do something for each other in the way of something that needs to be done to the house, and then we buy each other a pair of blue jeans or a new umbrella.
There’s always someone around who can use some help…not only at holiday time but all year. It’s a great idea. Often, when we throw out food after a holiday meal, I think of the street people who’d love to have it. I just don’t know how to get it to them……
abppicg: the abs of a pig?
No agnst here. Steph is getting a food processor. The kids are getting books and music. I’m getting the food processor.
I love giving gifts. I love getting gifts. But you’re right, enough is enough. We don’t need more and can learn to live with less real easy. yhfdwrxl
Did I get redirected to the Karl Marx blog? Is this a chapter from the Communist Manifesto?
Some people may not appreciate the money changers in the Temple (there WAS that whole Jesus incident). But look where it got them - majortiy ownership of Hollywood. They’re not singing “If I Were a Rich Man” anymore.
Tradition, Tradition! alegiudf!
Getting in touch with your means of production has little to do with the gist of Randy’s posting and the various comments.
During the past year, I’ve taken the commuter train to get home from work. Every day, the cars are teeming with families–dirty, smelly, wearing ratty second-hand clothes–scrounging up discarded paper of all kinds, which they hand over to recycling centers for a few centavos per pound.
At first, this was an annoying feature of the ride home. (”Hey, I just shined my shoes!”) With time, I’ve come to appreciate that they are just trying to put food on the table.
Ok, so buying the new slsdau (i.e., name of said new gadget) would support the industry that employs (insert number) people. But I have to ask myself whether I really need this thing. And do my loved ones need it?
Rant over.
I just wish I had learned this earlier in life. I could be rich now, but blew it early. I can relate to the upset stomach. Aren’t the holiday supposed to be about family and fun?