Toxic Santa
Filed Under Mom Talk |
Many of you may be offended when I tell you I have been bitten by the BAH HUM BUG attitude. The reality is I’ve grown to despise the commercialism that Santa represents. I certainly am no angel in this department and have been guilty of giving mounds of gifts.
I have always considered myself to be emotionally connected to world issues and aware of my privilege (by global standards). I was raised by a single mom on welfare and then became a carbon copy of my mom eight years ago. Since then, I’ve managed to break the cycle and turn my life around.
My partner, who was raised in a different culture, has never really fancied this idea of Santa. In fact, he has been down right opposed to it from the beginning, but went along with me, reluctantly. My oldest son’s sense of entitlement has really been an eye opener. We have certainly not indulged our kids by any means, but the fact is there is something disconcerting about trying to raise children in an overindulged culture.
In my opinion, Santa has become a symbol of our greed; we feel like we must be rewarded for our hard work, while people in other parts of the world work just as hard (if not harder) for next to nothing. And heck – don’t our children deserve to be pampered? But what about all the things they receive during the rest of the year, like birthday parties and gifts, play dates and free education? Don’t they count as well?
What finally sealed the deal for me and my new attitude was a discussion I had with a close friend of mine last year at a dinner party. My friend, whom I love dearly, defended her position on Santa by saying she worked hard for all the things she had (she just sold her company for $12 million) and deserved to indulge.
Now don’t get me wrong. My friend is a very generous person and I, too, have said the same thing in the past. But this time, it was different. Listening to my friend, I heard my own argument for the first time and realized it had little merit. Materialism is an addiction that we need to get a hold of. In the absence of materialism, many of us could be much richer. We just don’t even know it.
I’m heading to Los Angeles for the first time in eight years and will see my sister for the first time in 12 years. My first stop will be the ECO gift fair where I hope to stock up on my stainless steel water bottles and non-toxic kid stuff. I will no doubt walk down Melrose to see the sights, but containing my inner consumer won’t be much of a struggle.
My heart just isn’t in it this year and this has been a long time coming. I feel torn between the me that once was (an “I” focused North American) and the me I want to become. While I am a work in progress, I feel as if I’m not the only one coming to terms with this reality and thinking it is out of control. I really knew things were changing when even the material girl – yes, that’s right, Madonna herself – was boycotting gifts this year. What could Lourdes possibly need anyway?
Cheers,
Andrea Page
