I Want I Want I Want

I hate the consumerism of Christmas. I love the music, I love the decorations provided that they are (1) not put up before Halloween and, (2) I don't feel compelled to compete. Christmas is about Jesus, not Martha Stewart.

I love the church services, the Advent candles, the music.

I love pageants where the baby Jesus is an infant girl, the sheep get loose and the teenaged angels miss their cue because they're on the roof playing cards. I'm really sorry I didn't see the camel, Abraham, take off down Main Street in his regalia.

I love receiving cards, though I've gotten slack about sending them.

I love the expectation for the day.

But something looms very ugly beneath it all. The "I wants." I'd like to tell you that as a mother I have to struggle with a greedy child, but the truth is that all Lily wants is something to protect her horse's legs while jumping (called galloping boots). She's never had excessive lists.

All Paul wants is for nobody to spend any money. (I try not to talk about Paul's frugality here, because I openly refer to him as The Cheapest Man in America, and since you don't know me, that sounds harsh. I do tell him that to his face and even my tightwad father agrees.) This is a challenge. "What would you like for Christmas?" is often unanswered, or answered with some spirit-dampening desire such as, "Lily's college tuition" or "to save enough money to retire early."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a new tennis racquet? Or shoes without holes in them?"

He's sure.

Which gets down to the real important part of Christmas. What I want.

Usually I can escape what I want by not exposing myself to stuff. I want everything I see. I want everything you have. The Commandment I break the most is about coveting. I want I want I want. I usually stay out of the stores. I don't look at catalogs. I try to cultivate desire based on need, not fashion. So Christmas is a challenge because I have to go shopping for others -- and I always see things I "need."

And once you break usual spending habits and actually start spending, well, it gets easier and easier. Ho ho ho! Out the money goes.

And in all this jollity and frivolity, my eyes start to wander. Yes, I want I want I want.

Right now I want a Sony Bravia 52" LCD tv. Why? I don't watch much TV because Paul channel-surfs and I can't pry the remote out of his fingers. What good would HDTV do me when all I see is a progression of unrelated images? I'd be better off going to Best Buy for an afternoon and watching their endless loop of "Finding Nemo." At least I'd see something with a beginning, a middle and the end.

The world would not be a better place if I got my giant TV. I would not be a better person if I got it. But still, I want I want I want.

Confession over.  Now, what do you want? And are you going to get it?

Comments

[Anwyn]

Welll ... you seem to be saying that you dislike the buying at Christmas because it brings up an underlying I Want mentality that you struggle with *anyway*. Which seems an unfortunate reason to be sick of people buying things mostly *for other people* at this time of year. I love to buy things for people that I know they'll like. If to accomplish that I have to work off an I Want list at Amazon or something, it's fine--I'm getting them something they would like to have that they wouldn't necessarily get otherwise because it falls outside the *immediate* realm of I Want--something they were willing to put off till later to get something else, maybe a chunk of their kid's tuition. Or maybe a flatscreen, I don't know, but I don't have to. I like buying things for other people--which, lest we forget, is the focus, not buying things for ourselves. I think that's an important distinction when discussing consumerism at Christmas.

[Angry]

In our house, saying "I want" is frowned upon because it is a 'demand' and it's rude to demand favours from anyone.
We always encouraged the kids to say "I would like", which sounds a lot better than listening to a demanding kid.
"I would like some cake too, please"
"I would like to go to the Mall, can you take me?"
"I would like an iPod for Christmas"

It's a small distinction I know, but it reminds them that they are in fact stating a desire without an implied obligation from anyone attached to it.

[anne]

Okay, so I'm rude and greedy. I knew that.

I don't think my blind greed would be made any better by restating it as, "I would like to have everything that I see." Or, "I would like a giant TV so it can suck out my brains and morals even faster."

I guess the good thing is that I want the giant TV for myself, rather than to give it to someone else and have it damage their minds. Even if they ask me for it ever so politely.

The point is, even if I get my giant TV, that won't be the end of my wants. I am insatiable. I try to work really hard to feed my soul in other ways (bible study, journaling, relationships, worship, chocolate and junk food), I'm still really, really vulnerable to Stuff. And this time of year, you can't escape Stuff. The only thing standing between me and that giant TV is shame and money. That's probably a pretty good thing.

[I Gallop On]

I find it best to simply stay as far away as possible from Target, where I discover all of a sudden that "I Want I Want I Want" that shiny new toaster oven although my old beat up one works just fine. Their marketing people are evil geniuses. ;-)

[jamie]

Whew.....Now I know I am not the ONLY one who has the "I want...er....would like to have;) one of those, oneof those and..wait!!! one of THOSE too!!!!