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Does Anybody Know What Time It Is? 9/21/2008 11:53:52 AM
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Christmas Catalogs In
September?
Trina L.C. Sonnenberg
Can you believe it? We haven't even passed the
Halloween marker yet, and I'm still experiencing 80 degree weather in the
mountains, and my post office box is filling up with Christmas catalogs!
Christmas used to mean something special; now, however it means
shopping! It's no longer about gift giving as much as it is about spending
money; or shall I say, making money.
I don't know about you, but I am not ready to think about
Christmas yet. I don't want to think about stocking up on firewood, breaking out
the sweaters... I want to enjoy the last breath of summer. I want to enjoy the
changing of the leaves on the trees. I want to think about evenings without
mosquitoes. I don't want to think about spending ridiculous amounts of money on
gifts.
That's what humanity has become... COMMERCIAL. Okay, that's not
fair. People who are impoverished are not in that category, but even the poorest
of the poor, in America, will do anything to get their kid that gaming system
for Christmas. (My kid is getting a bicycle for Christmas. Shhh... don't tell
him.)
What ever happened to the thought behind the gift? Where's the
love? It's become about how much you spend.
Corporate America wants as
much of your money as they can possibly get, so now they are brainwashing the
public (you and me) to shop early. You see, the premise is that if you start
now, you won't have any last minute worries; but... the real motivation is most
devious. By getting you to shop earlier in the year, they get you to spend money
during their slower sale period, hoping that over time, you'll find many more
things to give as gifts, from their ads. Again, spending more money. Finally,
with the hectic schedules that most people keep, they're banking on human
nature. They're counting on people's ability to forget.
You buy a gift
for Aunt Sally, in April, thinking it is, for her, to die for. In September, you
receive a catalog and you see page after page of really cool stuff and think...
Gee, I bet Aunt Sally would love this. Hey! It's on sale too! I better get it
for her for Christmas. And look at this..! I can take care of my whole gift list
right here.
Cha-ching!
Then another catalog arrives in the mail,
from yet another company. The whole process repeats itself.
The whole
deal comes to a climax with the Days Before Christmas Sales! You've only got X
amount of days before Christmas... Get out your credit cards and get some of
this cool stuff. It's on sale!
Just think about how many holidays have
been invented by greeting card companies. And while you're at it, you may as
well get a gift to go with that card.
Who says that impulse buying
happens only at the checkout stand?
Cha-Ching!
Now, I am not a
Scrooge; far from it. However, I am disgusted by the commercialism of life, and
Christmas is just one example of how corporate America has manipulated the
customs and minds of the people. It being a religious holiday makes it all the
more appalling.
I love to give gifts to others. I remember a Christmas
as a new mother of a two month old baby. I was separated from my husband at the
time, and receiving food stamps. I had no money. I couldn't even think about
buying gifts. So, I took inventory of what I did have. I had food stamps. Way
more than I needed. (No, I didn't give them away, or sell them.) And I had time.
I went to the grocery store and bought baking supplies. I made cookies
for everyone for Christmas. Boxed 'em, and wrapped 'em too. Everyone was
delighted with my gift to them.
I spent about $50.00 to put a smile on
at least 10 faces that year. It wasn't about the money; it was about the time I
took to bake for them. I gave them something that I knew they would enjoy. I
thought about it. There was nothing impulsive going on with me.
People
complain about corporate America's hold on us; the commercialism of Christmas,
in particular, but they still shop.
Cha-ching!
My favorite gifts
are the creations of my kids. I still make things for gifts as often as I can.
Last year, however, I gave my family copies of my book and a calendar I created
with photos my husband has taken. Sure, it cost me some money (I don't get my
book for free), but the way I see it is that I gave them a part of me, my life,
and they all loved my gift to them. They especially enjoyed the fudge I sent
along too.
When I was a young girl, my mother and I would go Christmas
shopping, and it would take weeks to select gifts for a list of four people.
We'd spend hours just milling through the mall, and discussing whether or not to
purchase things. We'd have lunch and talk some more. Christmas shopping was
quality time with my mom, not fighting crowds being dragged along behind her;
hating every minute of it. It was something I looked forward to, not something
to be dreaded, or that we had to do.
As for the inundation of
catalogs... I try to throw them away before leaving the post office. There's no
need for my ten-year-old to get a hold of them. Of course, in my household, the
Cabelas catalog is a fixture on the coffee table all year. My guys are
outdoorsmen, after all.
Copyright © 2008
The Trii-Zine Ezine
http://www.ezines1.com/triizine
About the Author:
Trina L.C.
Sonnenberg
Publisher - The Trii-Zine Ezine - Your Trusted Source for
Internet Business and Marketing Information. EST 2001. ISSN# 1555-2276
Author of: My
Journey A Lifetime of Verse, ISBN: 978-0-61516405-2
Co-Owner: Internet
Marketing Mavens
http://internetmarketing-mavens.com
Keywords:
christmas shopping, commercialism, consumerism, gifts
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