Now that November is here, shopping malls and department stores can go nuts selling Christmas. You know, the time of year that’s been hijacked by places like Toys R Us. The month when people stress out about getting everything on their list done. All while paying with plastic.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. Meeting friends that perhaps you haven’t had the chance to meet in a few months. Cocktail parties. Cookies. Spending time with family. Sitting by the fire. Watching Christmas movies that never get old. Going to church on Christmas Eve. But I just find the materialistic aspect so gross. Over the top. Unnecessary.
And every year it seems that people talk about where they are going to put all the toys that their children and where they will keep them. Yet this seems to continue year after year. I wonder how many of those toys will the children actually play with and how many will be thrown in the yard sale pile after a few months. Or several years later, will all those toys matter to the children or will the memory of special traditions be what lives on?
One evening in Morocco our group decided to take a walk through a small, farming village. Not one toy was to be found. Yet the streets were filled with laughter as the children ran around, playing with one another. They looked out for each other. They didn’t have any powerful bikes or fancy swing sets to play on. Yet they laughed and seemed to be full of happiness. Seeing this made me actually change my mind about children. Rethink my stance.
In fact, I’d say this simple walk through the village was one of the highlights of my trip. Seeing that children don’t need every toy out of the Wish Book made me happy. And that they were outside playing rather than holed up in front of a computer or video game. I don’t think a child psychologist would survive in this village.
I’d love to share photos of the beautiful, happy children, but out of respect I have posted just a photo of the streets that seem to be enough for these precious little ones.
What I find annoying about the holidays is the New Year’s revolution that people never keep. I just want to tell them : “Hey, it’s just the beginning of new year, not of a new YOU”. Hahaha ! Well of course, your case is different, you will really turn the page on a new chapter of your life 🙂 Awesome !
I agree with you about the materialism and how out of hand it has gotten. it drives me crazy too!!It is so ridiculous all the toys kids have and they play with them for a few minutes, then they are bored and into the toy box they go. Yet parents keep buying more and more to keep little Johnny or little Mary happy and entertained. I am reading a wonderful book right now: Zoya Phan Little Daughter. It tells the story of a little girl growing up in Burma and she had no toys but she and her siblings and friends had so much fun playing outside and making their own games such as the game of marbles they played by making little tiny balls out of red clay. They made fun with what nature provided. I can just imagine the joy you felt seeing these children with nothing loving life and not wanting “more, more” to be happy!! A wonderful feeling.
I agree; holidays have been hijacked by marketers. It’s nothing new, it just happens more than ever and earlier than ever. I actually saw Christmas displays up before Hallowe’en. How horrifying I that? Your photos bring a lot of perspective to the conversation. Nicely done