Posted by
PensiveObserver on Thursday, November 23, 2006 8:51:01 PM
The god of the malls has spoken, and once again I have run the other way in undeniable, full-orbed rebellion. At 3:00 a.m. sharp on Friday morning, you and I are called to put all our thankfulness behind us and get on with the true business of life in our consumer-driven American life. That is--stoking and feeding our collective materialistic discontent. Get those early bird specials! Stock up on the latest gadgets! Most of all, feel the pleasure of pressing the mobbish flesh and exercising your god-given plastic rights. Life takes Visa, you know.
Join in my rebellion by sleeping in late tomorrow. Get the rest your body needs. Let your neighbor deal with the traffic jams, the peevish lines, and the expense of it all. And as you drink your morning coffee, ponder with me some ways to live a less hectic, more fulfillig life... A life with less stuff.
Richard Foster has been helpful in defining some practical steps to simplify our lives in his Celebration of Discipline. Here are several ideas drawn from his work:
1. Understand your motive in making a particular purchase. Are you buying that gift or item for the prestige it brings you, or for its functional worth. Madison Avenue majors in cultivating the envy within you. Know thyself.
2. Know your addictions and avoid letting them own you. For me it is an over-fascination with books. For others, its the desire to have the latest technological gizmo. When you find yourself driven by undisciplined compulsions, you have zeroed in on your addiction. (Play Stations anyone?)
3. Give stuff away that you no longer need or want. Find the Goodwill Store near you and practice some holiday charitable giving. Letting go of things frees your soul, and may meet a need for someone else.
4. Question the logic of "time-saving" devices. I just put away my electric knife that gets used once a year to carve the bird. Then it goes back with the juice-maker, latte-maker, etc. You know what I mean.
5. Enjoy life without having to buy a piece of it. The sun shines on us all, rich and poor. Use the library, borrow the tool from your neighbor, walk the beach without feeling the need to own a patch of it. I want daily hugs from my kids for Christmas. That's good enough.
6. Draw increased satisfaction from nature. Buy a bird feeder and feast your eyes on your vari-colored patrons. Closely observe the changing of the seasons as it occurs day by day. Walk a nearby trail. There is so much to enjoy in the world beyond the sight of the big screen TV or computer.
7. Pay with cash instead of plastic this holiday season. There is humility in knowing we have limits, but freedom in staying within those limits. Do yourself a favor and lighten your load this time. The people you love will understand.
So there you have it. Take a break from the normal enslavement to the consumer economy and enjoy your holidays in good conscience!