So, what was Santa Claus like before he became the shopping guru that he is today? Before we all jumped on that bandwagon and turned something that should be nice and peaceful into a crowded shopping frenzy, something where if you don't give and receive bigger and better you begin to feel like you've failed Pop Culture 101. Did Santa start out just wanting to do something kind for someone? Maybe just something as simple as a note that said, "you are awesome!" and it snowballed? Christmas has gotten a little out of hand, at least I think it has. Thanksgiving night people were camped out at the Best Buy by my house, people trying to score a Wii on "Black Friday" before they were sold out. A man was trampled in a WalMart by his fellow shoppers, all looking for a deal. I think before things got crazy, Santa was a peaceful man with nice goal, to be kind and dole out a little appreciation and peace to the world. This is what I think Christmas should still be about. I think we should cut out the majority of shopping that goes on, instead, have a little cocoa, a little egg nog. Put some lights around a window and sit on the couch and look at them. Watch "A Christmas Story" and see little Ralphie and his brother's adventures one more time. Hug your families, put peace back into the mix. Slow down. Stop rushing all about. Be kind. Just enjoy the quiet peace of the season. I hope this is the sort of Christmas we all have this year.
6 comments:
I totally agree with you. As a kid that grew up overseas where Black Friday meant a gloomy political event, I still don't understand the frantic frenzy that happens every single time doors open for that weird day. What a horrible way to die.
Hi Michelle,
that's a really great perspective of "Black Friday." Living over seas probably gave you awesome perspectives on a lot of things, that's really neat. As a kid, I didn't really know what Black Friday meant, I thought it just sounded bad.
Now, I think it's just plain silly to shop that day. Standing in long lines, dealing with traffic and crowds doesn't strike me as fun, and then there's the possibility of being killed, eek. And I agree, that IS an amazingly awful way to die. Geez.
(On another note, when you shop on Black Friday, you also miss out on sales that are often better the week after.)
Yeah I totally agree. I think if it's a tradition for some people, and they go just because it's fun I don't really mind that.. but if you go because you are a greedy poo and you just want STUFF for the sake of it.. it's wrong, and there is no fun in that anymore. Especially if you are running people down and killing them for stuff that will break in a year or two. It's just sad.
Nicely put! I loved how you phrased your greedy comment, "greedy poo." Hahaha! That's awesome, and so fitting.
Yeah, stuff for stuff's sake makes me honestly a bit depressed. It seems like I put so much effort into saving money that spending it on something that I'll forget about quickly is really sad. And mowing people down in the process? Completely unfathomable, does ANYONE need a dvd player that badly? Good gravy!
You know, I used to go shopping with my Mom - to make the money stretch a little farther (there really were sales). It was fun, we were spending time with each other, getting gifts for the rest of the family, good stuff like that. I just don't remember it being quite as frenetic as it is now. Trampling someone to death, are we nothing but mindless herds of cattle? I just don't want to go anymore. It seems to be the antithesis of the Christmas spirit - which is too bad, because it used to be fun.
Boo. Yes, too bad! The times with your mom sound WONDERFUL! Maybe it's that when we were kids we lived in Hawaii. Maybe if we shopped Black Friday there it'd still be lovely?!? We can hope anyway! :)
I hope that one day we'll discover that running around like crazy people isn't what the holidays are about, maybe we will get back to the simple things, the fun things!
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