What has really frustrated me is not my blogs but tv advertisements. First of all, let me explain that I rarely watch tv except for my football games and PBS shows. As a matter of fact, I only have over the air channels on my tv.
But, even with this small amount of tv watching I have been bombarded with ads that praise our consumption of things. Renaming Black Friday as a Shopping Holiday, telling us we deserve that new car or home or whatever, update our jewelry wardrobe, easy sales whether in-store or over the internet.
I am actually appalled at the crassness of these advertisements. Since when did the idea of deserving something even when our credit is a bust become a good thing? And, other than the top one percent, who has enough money to keep up with a new designer jewelry wardrobe much less a clothing wardrobe?
Am I really that out of touch with today's culture? Or, are the folks who sell things exerting more pressure on customers to keep sales up irregardless of the customer's needs?
A couple decades ago, you could tell how things were going by the women's magazines. If the economy was good, they included articles about gifts to give at certain price points. If the economy was not so good, the magazines would be filled with great gift ideas to make.
Unfortunately, most women's magazines are so full of ads that it's even hard to find the articles among the pages and pages of ads. And, of course, with so many ads, what are the odds of finding a good article on making great gifts instead of purchasing gifts.
Don't get me wrong, I do purchase gifts at Christmas. I just think that the pressure to purchase seems extraordinary and I worry that folks won't think twice about putting themselves in a poor financial situation for the sake of that next wonderful gift.
There is another word that begins with 'g' that I think will help all of us if only we would live it. Gratitude. Yes, gratitude...living a life full of gratitude. Because life is perfect? No! Because life is! A life full of gratitude is a life full of joy. A life to be cherished. Try it. Look at life like that glass half full...not half empty. You will be surprised at how your life, and the world view, changes.
Ornaments. I am working on a couple more...
Dala Horses. There is more to embellish the horses yet to be cut out, but I am getting there. I managed to finish four of the other ornaments this past weekend. Still working on waxing the Moravian Stars and the folded square ornament. But I feel good about what I have accomplished so far. And I am loving these Dala Horses.
Hope your week is full of cherished and anticipated times...
Thanks for stopping in...
Talk to you tomorrow...