My friend Owen sent me this link today. The film talks about stuff - where it comes from, and where it ends up. It provides an interesting look at our consumerist society - especially as we move more towards Christmas, the ultimate consumerist holiday!
One of the things that really hit me during the film was the cycle that consumerism has created:
We go to work to make money.
We come home, exhausted, and watch about 4 hours of television each night. While watching T.V. we are exposed to commercials that tell us we should be unhappy with what we already have - what we have isn't good enough.
So, we go shopping. We buy the new things that the television tells us we absolutely need. (Our current society spends the majority of their free time shopping and watching television.)
Then, we go back to work, because we need to be able to afford all the new things that we've bought. We work harder to pay off the things that we've bought, then are more tired when we get home, so we watch television... and the cycle continues.
I found that this film presented information about our consumerist society in a new and unique way. Annie Leonard is passionate about the earth, and she does a wonderful job of explaining how things work.
As we move towards Christmas I would urge you to consider your spending habits. What are you buying? How long will it last? Is it reusable? Is it really worth it?
Being away from home for the holidays always helps to put Christmas into perspective. I don't get the huge presents, or lots of money... I get gifts that are thoughtful, small, but meaningful. All of a sudden the real reason for Christmas becomes clear. Spending time with family and enjoying the love and hope that comes with the season is what is truly important at Christmas.
On an off (though related) note, Jeff and I have frequently discussed how little we have here. We don't have a huge apartment so we don't have room for a lot of stuff. We live simply, buying only what we need because we know that we won't be here forever. I hope that when we return home to Canada that we can keep a minimalist lifestyle.
I challenge you to think about how much stuff you currently have in your life.
~Jen
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