What's Enough?
Speaking of greed and we were, just the day before, one has to wonder when does a realization kick in that enough is enough? Does it ever? If not, why not? Most people have just undergone a kind of consumer orgy of acquisition. Lots of wear and tear on frazzled nerves, scant time available for all of the search-and-buy excursions that people have undertaken in the last month or so. And then, in one fell swoop, in comes December 25, and it is o.v.e.r. Isn't it? Isn't everyone kind of relaxed and happy feeling that the holiday has come, everyone has celebrated and can now relax for another year?Fact is, if I were as involved as most people, which I am not, since Christmas is not my holiday, even though like most other people who like me are not of the Christian faith, I enjoy the spirit of the season, the colourful displays, while gladly eschewing the holidays excesses, particularly those of frantic shopping and gifting. Mind, I do enjoy the baking of edible treats, and we do also plan for and enjoy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings we deem fit to indulge in. But I would be ever so relieved that all of this frantic activity had come to a blessed close for another year if this were indeed 'my holiday'.
As we were ambling down the long hill to access the ravine for our daily walk with Button and Riley this afternoon, we came across one of our neighbours with his dog on the way out. Fact is, as we had come down our driveway, we noted that he was just about to enter the ravine, before us. We had stopped to talk for a few minutes with another of our neighbours, so I'd reckon he was in the ravine with his dog for all of ten minutes before starting on his way out.
When we met mid-trail, we spoke of genial generalities related to Christmas, and he informed us that he and his wife were happy shoppers that day. We were rather incredulous to hear this, knowing that they had frantically shopped in the run-up to Christmas, but here he was, cheerily informing us that they had gone out before eight this morning to shop at a number of stores, among them Canadian Tire, WalMart and Sears. They were, he said, "taking advantage" of the Boxing Day sales. Half price for Christmas-related goods, like cards, wrapping paper, CDs, that kind of thing.
The mind boggles. What is this? Are people so let down that the great holiday day has passed that they require reassurance that it will return again to test their shopping mettle before too long? Does the after-Christmas attendance on sales ensure that for them, like a blankie comforts a whining child? He described for us the throngs of eager shoppers they came across this morning, the packed parking lots, the frantic searches for just what they needed.
What kind of miserable values does this kind of activity bespeak? Do they ever read the newspapers, about all the people who volunteer their time helping to feed the homeless, of charities needing more support than ever on an ongoing basis? Yet he stood there and described their delight at "finding" an air hockey game on sale at half price for $400, his daughter excitedly encouraging its purchase, and his bemused "wonder where we'll put it?".
Surely, surely this is unspeakable excess. What do these people live for? Ah, conspicuous consumption, evidenced by their never-ending hiring of trade workers to do one project after another in and around their house, the trade's sign left proudly on the lawn long after the work has been completed. Are these rare creatures in our society? Is this what we need to maintain the GDP, keep the cash registers ringing? Er, could we spread some of that around a little bit? Oops, that's the socialist in me, sorry.
posted by Pieface @ Monday, December 26, 2005
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