Let me just candidly tell you about my past 2 months. I know people don't LOVE to talk about money, the same way they don't LOVE to talk about their weight. So, I'll get into at least one of these taboo subjects in the next few paragraphs or so.
The month of February was a type of social experiment for me. I chose to go the entire month and buy absolutely nothing new. If I needed anything and Value Village or Salvation Army didn't have it, I just went without until it showed up on the shelves. It was amazing, actually. Like a treasure hunt. It made what I owned all that much more valuable. As we all know, the 28 days of February went by very quickly.
I had chosen to take this route because of my involvement with the Free Store here in Charlotte. I see people come through each week, with such a sense of urgency. They have next-to-nothing yet someone has instilled in them (and in us all) that we NEED something. Anything. Just get it. Grab it. As fast as you can before it gets gone and then you'll do without. I understand basic needs (such as socks/underwear, warm coats, food, etc...) but became bombarded with the thought of our NEED for so much more.
In addition to seeing this urgency in people's eyes, I also began to see things being stripped of their value- and I say this as a positive change. Banana Republic and Janie & Jack clothing laying on a shelf next to Faded Glory all for the same price: nothing. What's the big deal? Someone spent $45+ on each item, got tired of it or decided it wasn't stylish enough, and threw it out. So my thought was: why bother buying anything at all? I mean, what do we really NEED?
I'm ashamed to say, however, that as March has come and gone, I have found myself back in the pit of consumerism and maybe even more-so than before. I have been to Wal-Mart (a place I'd been once in the past 3 years), Ikea 4 times (and currently have a car-full of crap from there) and have had my hand at Target and *gasp* Concord Mills. It almost feels disgusting. And to be honest, I felt like an addict. I rushed in, grabbed what I could, and couldn't wait to come home and put it all in a closet. There. I did it. I own some shit now. Cute shit. Good shit. If I want to, I can go look at it. I can try it on. I can hold it up to a mirror and smile at myself. I can carry a bag and play whatever part it is I've given myself. I did it. I gave in.
So those are 2 very contrasting months. I have to say that my March Madness made me feel much more "in need" than my February ever did. Buying nothing new, I felt free. I felt able to spend more time and effort on what matters. I was resourceful. I produced less household waste.
Oddly enough, all day I've had Madonna's "Material Girl" in my head. As catchy as the ol' dig is, I really believe I became just that. In philosophy, we're taught that in the Materialism school-of-thought that "what you see is all there is. If it is not in material form, it does not exist." And I spent the better part of a month chasing only that which I could see. And I am disgusted with myself.
God tells us with good reason "You can't serve God and money." And you can't. You only have emotional energy to be consumed with one or the other. They cannot coincide.
We're working through "Anti-Consumerism April" starting tomorrow. And I know it's not "the man's" fault that I bought all the crap that I did. And I know it goes beyond buying and into being. That is the journey I'm hoping to take this month. In 2 months, I've gone from 1 extreme to the other (to the extent that my mother asked if my husband got a raise. No, mother, I just got greedy). I'd like to take this month to become grounded again in life's TRUE necessities. Feel free to journey with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment