Yes - I went Christmas shopping today! I know it is August, but I really don't care. I want to get it done. I tend to buy little things all year round as I find them and they fit someone in my extended family any way so today my daughter and I really were just finishing things off. I hate doing my shopping in November and December. The stores are far too busy for me at that time of year and because of my panic disorder I don't make good decisions. Then I end up spending far too much money and I don't like anything I purchased.
Every year when I begin to think of Christmas and what needs to be done over the next few months I wonder how we got here as a society. What happened to just having a good decent meal on the holiday? Remember Tiny Tim and the Christmas Goose?? Well today Tiny Tim would think Scrooge a cheapskate for giving them that measly thing. Today it seems that Christmas dinner has to include at least a turkey and a ham and in many homes a roast of lamb or beef as well. Not to mention the myriad of vegetables, breads and desserts and of course all that booze that we just can' t seem to do without. Then there is the decorating and the round of dinners and parties that we just can't seem to get away from.
Over the years I have cut way back on the celebrations. I really prefer to have a quieter time with less gluttony involved. Oh don't get me wrong I love to eat, but every year I remember the time when we had absolutely nothing for Christmas and I was just too sick to beg for help. My daughters ate frozen pizza and watched TV and videos all day long. For many years I felt deeply ashamed and guilty about not being able to do something that year for my kids, but over the years I have watched my now adult daughters go out of their way every year to help some other family provide for their kids and I realize that something very good was instilled in my daughters because of that Christmas and I can think of a few young people who could use this lesson.
Every year I think of how painful this season is for some people in our society. Those with out family and those with not enough to feed, clothe and house their children are assaulted every day by the expectations of the season. No wonder this season sees the greatest number of suicides and admissions to hospitals for depression.
I love to remember my friends and family but it doesn't have to be dictated by a date on the calendar that has been seized by greedy companies. I think it is time for us as a society to decide to stop being influenced by advertising from companies that merely want to make great profits off of us. That is really what Christmas has become about. It is not really about sharing it is far more about greed.
Every year when I begin to think of Christmas and what needs to be done over the next few months I wonder how we got here as a society. What happened to just having a good decent meal on the holiday? Remember Tiny Tim and the Christmas Goose?? Well today Tiny Tim would think Scrooge a cheapskate for giving them that measly thing. Today it seems that Christmas dinner has to include at least a turkey and a ham and in many homes a roast of lamb or beef as well. Not to mention the myriad of vegetables, breads and desserts and of course all that booze that we just can' t seem to do without. Then there is the decorating and the round of dinners and parties that we just can't seem to get away from.
Over the years I have cut way back on the celebrations. I really prefer to have a quieter time with less gluttony involved. Oh don't get me wrong I love to eat, but every year I remember the time when we had absolutely nothing for Christmas and I was just too sick to beg for help. My daughters ate frozen pizza and watched TV and videos all day long. For many years I felt deeply ashamed and guilty about not being able to do something that year for my kids, but over the years I have watched my now adult daughters go out of their way every year to help some other family provide for their kids and I realize that something very good was instilled in my daughters because of that Christmas and I can think of a few young people who could use this lesson.
Every year I think of how painful this season is for some people in our society. Those with out family and those with not enough to feed, clothe and house their children are assaulted every day by the expectations of the season. No wonder this season sees the greatest number of suicides and admissions to hospitals for depression.
I love to remember my friends and family but it doesn't have to be dictated by a date on the calendar that has been seized by greedy companies. I think it is time for us as a society to decide to stop being influenced by advertising from companies that merely want to make great profits off of us. That is really what Christmas has become about. It is not really about sharing it is far more about greed.
Wow, you are very motivated to get everything done so soon. We draw names in our family, but we don't do it until Thanksgiving dinner so that only leaves a few weeks before Christmas to get the shopping done for them. At least it's only one person, though (though we do buy something for all the kids in the family). Maybe I will at least get started in making the list of who I need to buy for... That will be some progress, at least.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I didn't know you had P.D. I can't believe there's now yet another thing we have in common. This is getting weird!
ReplyDelete