Consumerism

I don't like a lot of 'stuff'. I don't like clutter in my home. My home is a good size for my family now, but it wouldn't be if I didn't love throwing things out, recycling, or donating. I get so excited every full moon, for many reasons, but one of them is that for the next 2 weeks, the moon will be getting smaller and that assists me in decluttering my stuff. I love going thru Bubba's clothes that he is quickly outgrowing, and boxing them up for them next baby. I feel anxiety if I have something for a long amount of time if I don't use it or if I don't have a place for it. I would rather it just be gone. I also know that feng shui doesn't like to work around clutter. The chi energies flow (and work their magick) much better in clean, clear, organized space. Another good reason...if my house is organized and simplified, it helps me to keep lil bubba safe...I don't have to worry as much as I would have to if I stored a lot of odds and ends that are bitesized that he could get into. Don't get me wrong, I am a historian at heart and can't bear to part with a memory. The only times I have thrown away (or burned) a picture, a letter, a sentimental object, is when I HAD TO. I have boxes and boxes of my memories and multiple scrapbooks...they are just organized and have their own place. My husband has a lot of stuff. Lots. This gave me anxiety for a while, until we moved into this house where he has an office of his own. I lost my point along the way, which is Christmas, or Xmas as I like to call it. It has been in my heart for years...a feeling that something was not right. My sister and I would go hungry year after year, just to spend every last dollar we had on gifts for our growing family. We would make sure everything was wrapped beautifully, and that everyone had multiple gifts. We would spend thousands. Yes we chose to do this. Over the years the unbalance of this started to let me know that this wasn't right. It has nothing to do with how much we received...it had to do with how much money, time and energy we put into this holiday year after year. It didn't feel right to me and it still doesn't. I like celebrating as much as anyone and I love giving gifts, especially on birthdays. But to go to all this effort for one day doesn't make sense to me. I like to think that I am simple, frugal person that doesn't buy into consumerism or commercialism. I think in another place at another time, I would enjoy the gift giving part of Xmas, but the way this country has taken it, doesn't appeal to me. I don't like to be lied to, I don't like people to think I am dumb, I don't like to be talked out of my hard earned money. This is how I feel all commercials and most stores are treating me. If the choice is between one more plastic, colorful, non educational toy for my son, or extra money to buy organic foods, or gas, or birthday for his daddy, I will forgo the toy. Don't get me wrong, I had the best Xmas's as a child. I have wonderful memories that will always be with me, and I was very lucky. My current feelings do not come from personal experience as a child. They come from my feelings as an adult now. I want to create wonderful memories and create family traditions and teach my son about why Xmas is a holiday and how gift giving and celebration came into play. A little blurb from the VivaciousVegan: "Christmas began as a pagan holiday. In the ancient Babylonian world, shortly before the winter solstice (December 17th to the 23rd), superstitious pagans believed that as the days grew shorter, the sun would eventually vanish completely. To encourage the sun’s return North, they worshipped with elaborate rituals and ceremonies. On the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, it appeared that the sun stood still. Believing that their implorations were successful, the pagans joyfully celebrated with drinking, feasting and dancing. A week later, when they were able to see that the days were in fact growing longer, a new year was declared.Fast-forward to ancient Rome, under the rule of Emperor Constantine. Prior to Constantine, Christianity was illegal and it's practice was punishable by death. Constantine knew he could use religion as a political tool to bring peace to his Empire and obtain willing soldiers for his militia so he declared Christianity the official religion and forced all pagans to be baptized in the Roman Church. However, Pagans still practiced the same ancient Bablylonian sun worshiping, which had further evolved to include the birthday celebration of the gods Saturn (god of harvest) and Mithras (god of light). This pagan worshiping made a mockery of the church. In an attempt to pacify the pagans, Constantine Christianized their pagan idolatries and declared December 25th to be a celebration of the birthday of Christ. In this manner, pagans were able to continue worshiping in a manner consistent with the church (the name change technicalities didn’t matter to the pagans). " But I don't want to teach bubba everything and celebrate in our own way, AND take him out in the cold, try to find a parking space, try to find the perfect presents for over 3 dozen people, fight the lines, try to comfort him while hes screaming while we are standing in line, bundle him up, get to the car again, and do it all over again....37 times. Not to mention money. Now that I have my little family, what money we do have, I would love for it to go to them, for the things I know they could use and need, like glasses, a trip to the dentist, certain clothes, certain educational 'toys'. Of course I want everyone I love to have everything they want, but thats not a possibility so why pretend it is and have a stressful holiday? Not to mention a statistic I read today on MotherJones.com...that we spend 8 billion DOLLARS! a year in Xmas decorations...which is 4 TIMES what we give to protect animals and the environment. Yuck. Of course giving gifts is fun and can be enjoyable and create lots of memories, its just when we or I overdo it or do it for the wrong reasons like out of feelings of obligation. What I do like is that I have started to get into cooking. And I like that other than my little family, I have extended family here in the city. So I am very blessed and know that I will have a peaceful, fulfilling celebration with my beloved family and still have enough money left over for my husbands birthday in early January. And I can go to sleep at night knowing that some big money making evil company did not take me for a fool with their advertising, which I'm sure the advertising money alone could feed all of the starving babies and house all of the neglected animals. I vote with my dollars and intend to live more consciously, and this is one more way that my house will stay clutter free so we can live more purposefully and healthily....(i know its not a word but it works..hehe)