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December 26, 2008 at 22:52:47
by Colin Beavan (Posted by JOY2U) Page 1 of 2 page(s) |
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inspired by an article i received about a young family in New York, who has intentionally stopped shopping the way most Americans do. Their goal is to leave no "footprint" on the environment. The email I received includes this link to an article in YES magazine. Christmas with No Presents? by Colin Beavan One family’s daring experiment: Christmas without all the stuff. http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?id=3042 Here's brief background: 
From November 2006 to November 2007, I and my little family—one wife, one toddler, one dog—embarked on a lifestyle experiment in which we tried to live with the lowest possible environmental impact (you can read about it on my blog NoImpactMan.com). Among other measures, the experiment included not making trash, not using any form of carbon-producing transportation, and not buying anything new. http://noimpactman.typepad.com/
When I sent this article out to my eList - I received a lot of favorable response and an especially inspiring one from my friend, Brad, who lives in Florida:
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My family is doing just that too this year for the first time: NO CHRISTMAS PRESENTS! I have been working on them for about 5 years to get to this point.
(“My family” = my Mom, Dad, brother, and my wife Lisa). We have no children, and my parents only had my brother and me. A small family but still…: NO Christmas cards, NO gifts of any kind to or from any of us! We DID all go out to dinner together last weekend, but this was NOT some back-door Christmas present to or from anyone.
Furthermore, I have decided that for ME (Lisa will try, but she’s not fully ready for this): NO SHOPPING in 2009!!! Only basic sustainance/maintenance purchases: food, necessary medications, gas and oil (basic maintenance and repair) for the car; basic hygiene products and things to maintain the house in the condition it is presently in (air and water filters, compact fluorescent lights…); sustainable gardening supplies; replacing a pair of shoes (for ex.) that I wear daily that wears out; no music purchases EXCEPT to replace things we need for the band to continue to perform: guitar strings, for example.; tennis balls (that’s my MAIN mode of exercise)… I DO NOT want to collect anything NEW: clothing, toys, … STUFF!!
I was inspired to do this by a show I heard today on our local community radio station (WMNF in Tampa: www.wmnf.org - FABULOUS station that you can hear on the internet) about a woman and her partner who did this for a year (in NYC and Vermont), and then wrote a book about it, which is out now). This, to me, is the best New Year’s resolution I can imagine. I suppose this would also include stopping eating out, movies, plays, concerts and other out-of-house entertainment that is not free… Magazine subscriptions? Hmmm… Charitable contributions to not-for-profit liberal/sustainable groups are EXEMPT – that’s not shopping!!!
So whaddaya think? (You may very well have has similar ideas. Let’s send this around, kick it around see who wants to give it a try in 2009!!! No better time to start than Jan. 1!!!!!
Love, Brad
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P.S.
It’s very exciting to embrace this challenge of “no more impulse buying” and more conscious, thoughtful spending, as you say. And I agree totally with your “ humble beginnings” – both my parents (of course) remember the Great Depression, living on a farm, and they, and I, have always lived accordingly. I was raised on a former chicken farm, had my chores to do each week, etc. etc. We didn’t even buy a TV til 1960! I have more than enough clothes to last me til I die, and it’s pretty much true for everything else as well. I will replace guitar strings, etc., of course!
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Changing our lives
Jesus called us to a whole new way of living. If we really want to honor Him, we need to examine our lives and be prepared for a lot of change. by Bill Samuel (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 445 comments [14 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 at 8:34:41 AM  (0+)
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Reply: Bill
You're one of the few people that see this, God Bless You! My wife and I buy each other a small "token" gift for Christmas (mine cost $7.50). People are generally stuck "inside a box", unwillingly to change. Jesus showed us the way to a more rich life.... few follow it. by Bob Gormley (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 1094 comments [65 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 at 10:43:53 AM (0+)
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Joy is the main thing!
And if this interesting challenge makes Brad happy, I think that's great! And I am not opposed to it - indeed, my family did this type of thing for many years. One year, we put the kids in the car and took a hunk of cash in an envelope, and dropped it off on an elderly widow's cracking doorstep. We had one of the kids ring the doorbell and run! We all waited, out of sight, to make sure she opened the door - which she did - she looked around, and saw the envelope and picked it up. We made our getaway ... and later experienced the delight of hearing her tearfully tell about the Christmas miracle from God. And indeed it was, I am sure we were divinely inspired. That might have been my best Christmas! However, as a person running a business in which I sell things a little more eclectic than deodorant and guitar strings, I am depending on folks to want to make purchases from me throughout the year. And if they were all like Brad, I guess I'd have to close my business and go onto government assistance. So, assuming Brad is still in business (selling deodorant and guitar strings, I presume), through his taxes, I'd end up getting his money anyway, but in a way that's lots less fun for both of us. The one thing I learned from the First American philosophy is that the most important thing is to keep the wheel turning. by Meryl Ann Butler (70 articles, 82 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 721 comments [29 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 at 11:57:02 AM (0+)
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No presents
While I admire your environmental stance I'm not sure that being an extremist is the way to go especially when the whole economy is failing. One way to prevent a depression is to spend your way out of it. One way to guarantee a depression is to stop spending. The government although totally complicit in the economic mayhem is now battling heroically to prevent a depression and I think the rest of us have to help or we are in for devestation, economic and otherwise. Having said that our extended family (2 grandmothers, three grandchildren in their early 20s, two sons and respective spouses, one daughter and her husband and finally an aunt and uncle by marriage) decided no presents this year but as an alternative we enjoyed each others' presence for 10 days so extensive travelling was incurred and much money spent on food and drink. All in all the presents were not missed but the presence was much enjoyed by all. by Archie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1750 comments [110 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 at 2:53:32 PM (0+)
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