The stores are all decked out in traditional red and green or screaming neon for the design advanced, but through all of it I’m wondering if we’re all a bit tired.
A question at last night’s dinner party starts to bring things into sharper focus… When did we become a society of consumers? When did having something “new” to show become more important that having something to share – a story, a hug, a laugh or a joke? What was interesting is how we all – all generations – felt we had a hand in creating this sense of inferiority. And how we felt that “others” – other cultures, other places, may have missed the consumerist mentality.
It’s my feeling that none of us missed it. Today’s lead story on MSN “It's a Tiffany's or dollar store Christmas for Americans” starts to tell the story. It focused on how the stats from “Black Friday” were misleading and that our culture, our society is breaking down under the burden of consumerism and debt. You know the sentiment - no matter how bad things are, something new will make it all better.
We know this isn’t true. We know that life’s greatest pleasures come from moments of true connection. Think about it. When were you the happiest? When did you just smile and laugh without a thought to how you looked or how you were being perceived? I can guarantee it was when you connected with someone or many “someones”. It was when the sheer connection meant that you didn’t need something “new” to make yourself feel worthy of drawing attention your way. It was when just being was all that was important.
So how do we move away from the need for something “new” to make ourselves feel important, to finding what is really important - to allow ourselves to feel? Maybe this should be the holiday season to take the first step. Maybe this is the year to not overspend. I know retailers will cry the blues but maybe this does need to be the year where we connect over good company, good food with a good story, a hug, a laugh and a joke.
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