I get really frustrated with people very easily. It’s a terrible terrible flaw I have.
Let me tell you what frustrates me most about people: Somewhere along the way we got our priorities all mixed up.
As I say this I try to think back in time to when this could have happened, but there is no REAL time period to blame it on. The 80’s/90’s when the electronics boom started? The 1950’s when it became the it thing to be like the Jones’s? The 1920’s when the stock market was at it’s best? The French Revolution? The Romans? Greed has always existed. It’s one of the deadly sins for Pete’s sake. It has been around forever and it will be around forever. Somewhere along the lines though, the greed became ok. Normal everyday greed became ok. Even to the point where we mask it with good intentions, and place greedy people on pedestals.
This is the greed that I am talking about though: The decisions we make to get things instead of help people.
Black Friday is a big day for me. I have hyped up my sales, sent out cards, called, emailed, and texted people. Now it’s the waiting game. I know in my heart that this is going to be a pretty slim Black Friday. Three of my best customers this year have all but completely left me. One I think has a relative that is a consultant now, one i have no idea, and one is upset with me about leaving my ex (two years ago). I get that things will happen, my business suffered this year because of my sons surgery, my own bouts with depression, and other things beyond my control. I can’t expect a fabulous Black Friday like I have had in the past.
Now here is where I am going to sound a bit selfish (I guess I am being selfish, but at the same time I have to sound selfish to make a point). WHY AM I SUCH AN ADVOCATE FOR BUYING LOCAL….EVERYONE knows, all of my customers, facebook people, etc, that 100% of my profits are going towards this house project. That is a real tangible thing. That is something you can see the results of something your money did. We buy almost 100% local for the holidays (and most times when we can get away with it). We buy our real trees from local vendors, we buy gifts from local shops. I already bought half of our gifts this year and they were all handmade goods from the actual artists. I feel good about the money I give people. I know my money is going towards things they need. I feel like I am making a difference. So yes, I get frustrated as I watch my friends spend hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars on things because why? It’s what you do? Christmas is the time when you spend way too much money on stuff you wouldn’t normally get during the year so you can make someone happy for a short period of time? What kind of values are we instilling in our children? Christmas is about stuff not people. And heck, not just Christmas, life in general. When did THINGS become more important than PEOPLE? You know what my kids are getting for Christmas? A used video game we bought off a guy on ebay, some handmade ornaments for the tree, and probably some sort of craft thing we will pick up at one of our craft shows, and I know what most people are thinking, “wow, you suck as a parent”. My kids may complain that they didn’t get the latest ipod, or new video game, or whatever toy but I want them to care about people more than things, so I am going to continue this tradition, because I want them to know what we feel is imporant, people. So buy your big plastic toys, your tvs, video game systems, the things that are going to keep you locked in your house for hours on end and fund the big corporations while meanwhile us local businesses are literally BEGGING our customers to buy from us. I can guarantee that very little of your money is going to fund anyone’s dream. Why dont you make a difference this holiday season. I know I am. BUY LOCAL.
