In the best interests of our Sacred American Economy, Christmas has become an exercise in conspicuous consumption. Walk by any recycling center the week after Christmas and you will see the aftermath of the holiday shopping frenzy. Mounds of cardboard are all that’s left of the Christmas spirit as people hurry back to their busy lives.
For a few moments between the shopping and the overstuffed dumpsters, there was evidence of camaraderie and good cheer. For one day at least, families and friends actually spent some time together. For a moment, the national obsession with STUFF was put aside. People went to church, ate, played games, opened presents, ate some more, drank, told stories and made memories.
And when that idyllic interlude was past, they got back into their cars and drove back into their busy lives, with a stop perhaps, at the recycling center or the mall to exchange a gift that didn’t work for them. I’m afraid the Christmas spirit is all but buried beneath the drive to keep America’s economy strong.
