The Thanksgiving holiday is behind us and now the shopping season looms ahead.
Even though the myths that surround it appear largely to be inaccurate (a radio show, “Tribal Voices” by Jim Brown, made those myths the topic of a recent broadcast), the sentiment behind Thanksgiving is one that I applaud. Why shouldn”t we take time, on at least one day, to express gratitude for our blessings? Ideally, we should be giving thanks every day of the year but — on this one day at least — Thanksgiving places emphasis on gratitude.
Unfortunately, the “attitude of gratitude” is sanctioned for only one day and that freight train looming on the horizon is the holiday shopping season.
Time to reflect anew on how tough things are financially and — despite how tight money is — how pervasive is the message that you must shop ”til you drop.
Outdoor writer Terry Knight called the newsroom and said that within the first 15 minutes on the day after Thanksgiving, one of our local large stores rang up $95,000 at the register. Who, exactly, were these people who scattered their hard-earned money just to buy a bunch of “stuff”? Did they devote any thought at all to whether it could be put to better use?
This is not a time for spending money without carefully considering its impact. People are losing their homes because they can”t keep up with the payments. Others have to carefully consider which bills they will pay each month and which bills remain unpaid.
Everyone is cutting costs — individuals and businesses alike. But the annual holiday message — that you must buy, buy, buy — continues unabated.
Local businesses are encouraging us to shop in our own community. Their intention is laudable. But, in order to support our economy, we still have to take the plunge and shop. Our failure to part with our money will make us personally responsible if a local business shuts its doors. Are you prepared to bear that guilt?
Meanwhile, some local events that are part of the holiday tradition will have to be curtailed because the admission is too steep.
How is it that we equate spending money with expressing our love? Why is it that if we try to opt out, we run the risk of guilt or inadequacy?
Non-profit groups are suggesting the alternative of making a charitable donation in honor of a “gift” recipient. I tried that one year but the object of my beneficence cared absolutely nothing about the cause that my “gift” supported. Maybe this option might have been more viable if I could contribute to an account that the recipient could allocate toward a charity of his or her choice. Otherwise, my charitable “gift” says more about my priorities than the priorities of the recipient.
One thing that I do each year is showcase the winter holidays that are held sacred by our many faiths. The holiday showcase ran this year on Saturday, Nov. 22, in the Lake County Record-Bee.
Christians, Muslims, Jews and Pagans all observe sacred holidays during the winter months. During the course of becoming acquainted with people of varying faiths, I have been privy to several of these rituals.
With the paper”s cooperation, this annual showcase has become an important tradition for me — and I hope that its importance is shared by at least some of our readers.
Even though the demand that we shop is an incessant one, I think that the season”s spiritual dimensions offer an important solace toward easing the feelings of inadequacy that the larger society imposes.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
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