If you read my article on 'stuff' in the Coasts Eco News next week - you’ll know I’m not a big fan of it (stuff, that is) especially Christmas Stuff.
I blame my Mother’s fascination with novelty gifts during my Wonder Years for the fact that I break out in hives when I walk past a $2 shop these days. Is the world really a better place thanks to the advent of clapper hats, watermelon ballers and the Donna Summers Thighmaster? (OK, Mum never gave me those but she did have a habit of hiding things in cards for "a bit of fun"- like the tinsel belly-button duster.)
This sort of junk is everywhere you look! And even those of us who don't own a wall-mounted singing trout would still have a fair amount of unnecessary stuff under the guise of ‘lifestyle’ – all the gadgets and appliances we buy to supposedly do things faster/easier/better. Then there’s the extra-special Christmas stuff….
Ian, (aka Ian-the-Great, Ian-the-Obsessive, Fabulous Ian, and on occasion, Nanna Ian for future reference), and I were walking through a market in Bris-Vegas last Sunday when I spied this nifty little gadget. It was the Christmas gift for "the woman who has everything” and I must confess, I did wonder how I’d survived almost 40 years without a bejeweled silver table clamp to hang my handbag on when dining out. Thank GOD someone finally put valuable resources towards preventing an outbreak of floor-germs amongst our leather goods! Honestly. (You’d need a second bag to tote the bloody thing around with you, then a second hanger-thingie for that……)
OK, I admit I probably wouldn’t pass a Shopaholics Anonymous 12-Step Program; I’ll probably buy another pair of Spectacular Pants at Woodford again this year, and just last week I succumbed to buying a mobile phone after holding out for years. I’ve probably even owned a watermelon baller in a past life, although I live quite happily without things like Gladwrap and pegs etc these days - much to the dismay of afore-mentioned mother.
How much we actually need is pretty universal – air, food, water, shelter, love etc. How much we want (or think we need) is different for everyone, and at the end of the day we only have ourselves to answer to about what we have, and how we feel about that, when so much of the world’s population (who are generally involved in growing or making our ‘stuff’) don't even have their basic survival needs met.
Mike Stasse sent me a great little website video on The Story Of Stuff today. It takes a while to download (even with broadband) but it’s worth it – just go and make a cuppa or ball a watermelon or something while it’s loading, and send it to anyone you suspect might turn up on your doorstep with a cow-shaped pepper grinder come Christmas. Hell, send it to everyone, we all need a reminder of the basics sometimes!
My Top 5 for XMas:
- I'm making 'plantable' cards on ecocern recycled paper with mixed herb seeds from my garden (and I'm ringing far-away friends rather than sending a card this year).
- Last year I adopted an orphan orangutan on Mum and Dad's behalf (... and it gave me some breathing space about the lack of a grandchild!)
- Oxfam Unwrapped always does great work, but you'd need to get in soon.
- Gift vouchers for a service (like a massage, garden work etc) always go down well - even for things you can do yourself, like a home-cooked meal.
- I always make a traditional Christmas Pudding and give bits away.
Next week: Christmas Food
