I want to preface this with an acknowledgement that I am not ‘holier
than thou’ and I have obviously participated in capitalistic and materialistic
events (cough cough Christmas), so I’m not pointing fingers. Even if I did,
there would be four more pointed back at me. I just wanted to put a little
thought out there because I’ve been bombarded all morning with messages of Black
Friday deals that have made me feel introspective and actually quite sad.
I won’t condemn shopping because we all need some things: for example,
I need toothpaste right now. I classify that as a need because if I don’t buy
some I will smell, no one will want to be around me anymore, and my teeth will
probably eventually decay and fall out. It’s an extreme picture, but you get
the point.
Now, let’s say I need a new winter coat because the one I have is full
of holes and won’t keep me warm anymore, and we all know that a good winter
coat in Canada is a must. Ok, fine, I can classify that as a necessity. And
maybe I want to buy one on Black Friday because it will be that much cheaper
and I’m not made of money. All valid arguments, there is nothing wrong with
that. What I have a problem with is the whole mentality behind Black Friday,
and let’s throw Christmas into that mix too. These massive consumer holidays
merely promote greed and the desire for ‘stuff’ that you don’t even need. There
is no world wherein a flat screen tv or an xbox is a necessity; let’s get that
straight right now. These consumer holidays promote a mentality of want in a
society that really wants for nothing; and irony of ironies, it’s only a day
after American Thanksgiving, a day when you reflect on everything that you have
and are thankful for it. This focus on “I want” causes us to lose sight of what
other people might actually need.
Let’s back up for a second here. Is it wrong to want things? I won’t go as far as saying that. There are definitely things that we like to have that we should be allowed to enjoy with our success. However, when the value of a thing outweighs the value of a human life….that’s just wrong to me. How many people stood in line in the cold waiting for the doors to open this morning? How many people got hurt or even died all for this insane pandemonium over wanting a thing? And what about the homeless man that was also out in the cold, and definitely not waiting to get into the store, did you give him any money? You don’t know him, but how much is his life worth to you? How much did you end up spending (NOT SAVING) on the items that you wanted? These are personal questions and I probably have no right to ask them, but I always find it shocking that we spend so much money around the holidays and yet we can’t spare the change in our pockets for someone who has nothing. We get a great deal on a plasma tv, but somehow sparing a $5 bill for a homeless person seems to be too much. I’m guilty of it too. I hate that I have become so accustomed to seeing so many homeless people on my way to work that I almost don’t even see them anymore. It makes me feel conditioned and ashamed.
Anytime I go out shopping I try to think of whether or not I really
need the thing that I want to buy. I work hard for my money and I should be
responsible with it. But also, I live in a position of privilege and so, in my
opinion, my responsibility should stem much further than not wasting money on
things that I don’t need. I have decided that I’m going to try something new
this year. When I am about to spend money on something that is a want vs. a
necessity, I am going to re-direct that money. Instead of buying new clothes, I
can sponsor another child; instead of spending hundreds on Christmas gifts, I
can buy a family a goat, which will give them a source of income and
sustenance. When the choice is between giving a child an education or buying
another pair of boots, shouldn’t the answer be clear?
Unfortunately…it’s not clear. I think that we all have a responsibility
to each other, to all humanity. If I have food and the person beside me doesn’t,
I should share it. We learn the value of sharing before we can even talk, so
when did we start thinking that this little lesson doesn’t apply to us anymore?
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I know that not everyone can afford to sponsor a child, but if you can
afford a $5 Starbucks coffee, can you afford to spend $10 on mosquito netting
or $15 for a fruit tree? If you are going to spend $100 on Christmas gifts for
just one person in your family, is $50 for a sheep really too much? At the end
of the day, the coffee will last about half an hour and the sweaters you just
bought for your brother might last two years, but a fruit tree, a sheep, or a
goat can change an entire family’s life forever. No I don’t work for Plan
Canada and no I am not getting paid to say these things. And if you don’t like
Plan Canada, then you can feel free to look into any other organization or
effort. I just think that these Gifts of Hope are fantastic ideas. No one waits
in line out in the cold to buy these gifts; it just doesn’t happen. But I’m
doing my Black Friday shopping and Christmas shopping right here: https://plancanada.ca/GiftsofHope/products/1-All-gifts/.
