Consumerism and Christmas

This Christmas I have been blissfully working a retail job, loving every minute of the employees and the people lovingly picking out books for their families as gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, the Solstice, and probably other cool traditions and holiday's too. But working in a bookstore seemed special, less focused on commercial greed. Even people buying Nooks and gift cards were giving education, open mindedness, travel to exotic places, keys to unlocking imagination, education. And while I was working this season I was too busy to do any shopping of my own, so I didn't think about the world out there buying everything in sight. It wasn't until last night when I joined the masses and this morning when I woke up and really thought about it that I started forming real opinions. Christmas has become what the Grinch feared it would. A world without presents, and Christmas would not still come. People must believe to their core that their families would not be OK with just having love to go out and panic and spend money they work all year to save, to go out and feed this greed. And then, people say it's "good" for the economy, as they spend their hard earned money at Walmart, Target, the mall...places where the business are publicly traded, places where the bank has a large investment in whether they succeed or not. I went into this Christmas wanting to make gifts, buy local, and chose each item with love and excitement. Then, last night, with my feet killing me, I drove to Target, and knocked out several items. They were things that were on my list anyway, but I paid more than I had planned just so I didn't have to go to another place. And the bitch of it is, that while Brian would be relieved if there were no gifts, and Erin would be too, Liam has totally bought into the crap that is Corporate Greed and would be devastated to wake up with no debt inducing gifts. All I can think about is that there has to be a better way. I worked my ass of this week and every penny went away last night in 2 hours. 41 hours of standing behind a register, smiling and spreading cheer, GONE TO FUCKING TARGET. People say to start early so it's not as tough right before Christmas. What about just not starting? What about standing on principal and saying, if indeed we are celebrating the 1/2 birthday of one of the most famous supporters of peace and equality, we will not riot for sneakers, we will not put our lives at risk driving like assholes, we will not skip mortgage payments or max out credit cards so that our children can continue to equate love with mass produced greed. We will stand hand in hand and sing like the Who's, we will fill a stocking with lovingly created and selected items, and we will celebrate the bravery of Saint Nicholas, who was willing to be imprisoned for his beliefs, and should be admired, even if we don't share his religion, but we will retire the coca cola santa who wears a red suit, gets fat, and hands out crap made in china. Today, I am bringing coffee and hot cocoa down to the homeless and to the occupiers, because even if I am not 100% sure of what each person out there is standing for, at least I am 100% sure that they know this isn't right or good or moral. The greed and consumerism that has always run rampant in our society has reached critical mass, and gift giving has gone from a task to find the perfect item for the perfect person, to making sure it's expensive enough, or electronic enough. Give from your heart, and only what you can afford. And receivers, be sure that whatever you are receiving, if it's not expensive or flashy or new, was selected with love. And let's all teach our kids that Christmas is not about presents. Don't just say that then buy them everything in the world, that sends mixed messages. If you care about the message of family and love, teach that. Start traditions centered around that. I screwed up BIG time this year, and have learned and will begin changing now. Liam and I are going to the store to buy ingredients to bake cookies for Santa, for the folks at work, and for the homeless. That will become a new tradition for us. We will become a family with traditions based on labor and love. I hope next year to not have to hear about riots, traffic accidents and angry mobs, but at least I won't experience them first hand, since I will not be at Target on Christmas Eve Eve, which shouldn't even be a thing!!!