THE FREEDOM OF SIMPLICITY The first couple bars of the Shaker song, Simple Gifts, came to mind in the aftermath of something troubling I witnessed yesterday, an all-too-common scene that elicited a complicated mix of compassion and sadness in me. Tis the gift to be simple, tis the gift to be free... I stood in line at Dollar General with a few necessities. The couple ahead of me were in their late teens or early 20s. The products they piled on the checkout stand were, without exception, mass-produced plastic toys that may well be broken by New Years, or cheap candy in plastic containers that will be swiftly emptied into little bodies and tossed in the trash. Their tension was palpable as they watched the display on the cash register, which offers a running total for low-income consumers who often need to make difficult decisions. In this case, they elected to put back some of the candy. Their total came to just over $87 and it nearly broke my heart. There was not one item of true worth in the whole lot, yet I knew they were trying their best to do the right thing, to live up to a cultural ideal that is totally driven by a market force that stands in polar contrast to the spirit of Christmas. I remember when I was still in the sway of seasonal madness and regularly went into debt at Christmas to buy gifts for family and friends. It was also typically a time of inexplicable depression. I finally awoke to the insanity of Consumer Christmas one day about a dozen years ago and asked my extended family to consider a new approach, starting with drawing names instead of trying to buy for everyone. Our tradition has grown increasingly creative and simple, incrementally shifting until this year no gifts changed hands. Instead, we each made a donation and shared the reasons for our choices. I no longer do the unsustainable, either monetarily or in the currency of energy. I do not push myself to send Christmas cards or attend too many gatherings or whip myself toward some outer ideal. Instead, I purposely shorten my to-do list and enter into the quiet stable of my heart for reflection, watching to see what might wish to be born in me. That is my best gift to everyone.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 18:54:32 +0000
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