It's been 3 months since my last confession...uh, I mean, blog post. I am still puzzled, ambivalent, and/or lazy about blogging's relevance. Is my life that interesting? Sometimes yes, mostly no.
Anyway, the coming holiday is a good excuse to write about greed/capitalism/desire/buying and such. It's a preoccupation of mine, in this life, it seems. I want, I don't want, I don't want or not-want. (that sentence actually made sense to me.) This is the human condition; but, this condition is transpiring in a context of predatory global capitalism. So, this already seemingly confusing state of affairs concerning my ability to be in touch with my own desires/greed is exacerbated by many external forces that seek to manipulate this situation. Ugh, what to do?
First, giving gifts to people you love is a wonderful thing, and having a ritualized time of year to do this and express our gratitude also seems like a wonderful thing. Second, the all-or-nothing approach is always a problem; maybe a fair trade gift or two, maybe a homemade card or two and maybe just cook your best friend a nice dinner for a present this year. (I don't have kids so I'm not plagued by kids desiring bad-for-the-environment plastic toys and mind-numbing video games). Third, what to do about getting stuff you don't want. I think it's better to give it away; somebody, somewhere might want it. Cluttering your house with things you don't love or need (some baseline feng shui wisdom) creates stuck energy.
And for some much needed spiritual inspiration on this subject, check out Reverend Billy's church of life after shopping...Peace on Earth, Good will to all...
