One of my favorite columnists and writer is Craig Wilson who among other things writes a column for the USA Today. He writes with the style and humor that I dream of writing with. I loved his take on Christmas Shopping, the end of the world, and must have toys. Enjoy the column here:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/finalword/2009-12-09-final09_ST_N.htm
As you know after reading his column there is more than one source that says the world is ending in 2012. Given that information, he asks, would you change your shopping habits? According to him you can go one of two directions. The first, is why waste your money on Christmas gifts since we are all going to be dead soon anyhow. The second, is since we are all going to be dead soon why not go after everything you always wanted so you could die happy.
Let's reminisce a bit today. When you were young or when your children were young do you remember any must haves at Christmas time? I was over being young before the Cabbage Patch doll. That is the first time I remember frenzies with people standing in line fighting each other to get a "must have" before the prices went up. We always had nice holidays. But I don't remember "must haves." It was, "it would be nice to get that Fort Apache set," but there wasn't really a line at the stores fighting each other. Sometimes our Christmases were all about giving and not receiving. We gave time, made gifts vs. buying them, and sometimes donated what we received to those worse off then we were. Oh we still got gifts and they were good enough ones to make us happy but the focus was sharing. I remember those as the best holidays.
Here are the questions of the day. Since the world is ending in 2012, what direction are you heading? Since we are all going to be dead soon are you going the route of not buying gifts? Or is this the chance to go the other direction and to ask for things you have always wanted and are you going to be sure that those on your list get everything they want? I am in the middle. I am going to shop like always. The gift from heaven for Mom. A nice gift from me for Mom, Sister, and Brother-in-law. A family gift for the draw under the tree at the family get together. Men buy men gifts, women buy women gifts. And I am just going to ask for love and good health.
I would also be interested in the must haves when you were young and the must haves when your children were young that required you to stand in line so your little ones knew that Santa cared.
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6 comments:
We got all excited about the year 2000, if you'll recall. And nothing happened. Ditto for all the previous end-of-the-world predictions over the years, not to mention the "Big One" earthquake predictions that haven't happened, though that one probably will someday.
So somehow, I'm not counting on the world ending in 2012, and I'm getting the normal bunch of gifts for people on my list.
With things as they are, even if I thought it was true, I probably wouldn't change much. There's not much I can change at the moment.
As to must-haves, the only one I remember from childhood was a bike. I yearned for a bike, and when I finally got one, I was ecstatic. I always wanted a dog most of all as a kid, but never got one, except for my adoptees that wandered through the neighborhood and stayed with me for a while.
I don't recall my daughter having must-haves, though I'm sure she probably did. She collected model horses, and there was always at least one under the tree. We never managed to provide the real horse she longed for.
I think I remember the Cabbage Patch Doll being one of the first frenzies also. I can't remember any must haves when I was young either. And when my child was young I don't remember standing in any long lines for anything. But I think he got what he wanted from Santa for the most part. So when exactly did this craziness start?
I too am buying the usual, which isn't all that much to begin with. And the love and health sounds real good too. I will just add happiness.
Enjoyed the column. Since life has taught me that none of us know when our "end of time" will be, the threat of 2012 doesn't mean much to me. I've done too many "what if you only had a year to live" pages in my MPs. So, my Christmas shopping and regular shopping habits haven't/won't change much. While it might be fun to indulge in buying everything I want, if the world doesn't end and I don't die, the loans and credit cards would have to be paid off (wry s). Sometimes I'm too pragmatic, yes?
Since you and I are within a couple months of the same birthdate, I'm like you - I really can't remember any "must haves" and, given our situation when I was a child, the must haves would have been irrelevant. I've seen/read about the frenzied shopping and, sorry, once again I have to point toward the media and advertising hype of today, which simply didn't exist when I was a kid. Nobody told us what we had to have or what was popular. Yes, we knew what we'd like to have and we made Santa's lists, but I can't imagine either of my parents getting into shoving contests to obtain a specific gift, even if we could have afforded it (given the "buzz gifts are ususally super expensive).
The only "must haves" I remember from childhood was a paira of roller skates, which was a real luxury at the time I wanted them and they were the only thing I wanted for my birthday. And I got them. Nothing else, but I was in alt at having the roller skates, even if I only had 10' of sidewalk to use them.
Our Christmas gifts were mainly clothes we needed, from underwear to a pretty sweater, maybe. Most were extremely practical. The exceptions were items Mom won as "awards" in Tupperware contests, which might be toys or whatever. Strange, Christmases then, despite the lack of expensive items or "must haves" were a lot more fun than Christmases today, where the majority of gift exchanges are cash or gift cards.
Hi Pat
I remember all the hoopla surroundiing Y2k and nothing happend. I'm also with you on so many times the world was going to end and it never did. Part of me wonders maybe if they aren't going to be right one of these days. I mean even a broken clock is right twice a day!
There really isn't much we can change.
I'm glad you got a bike! And were you realling living in a place where your daughter could have had a horse?
Does she still have her model horse collection?
Bill
Hi Dona
It sounds like your family was a lot like ours at the holidays!
I wonder about when the craziness started too.
I never have that big of Christmas list, I will when I win the lottery though,
I love that you added happiness.
Bill
Hi DR
2012 doesn't mean much either except I'll be older.
I just don't think the credit cards would understand, "I thought the world was going to end so I went on a spending spree. You will forgive the debt, no?"
I the advertising hype, imho, is would leads to a frenzy. Look at what Black Friday has become. Before all they hype it was the day after Thanksgiving and that was the official start to Christmas.
Yea on the roller skates!
Bill
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