When I was 10, probably the first Christmas that I ever bought presents for other people, my holiday purchases were something like this: a mug, a bookmark, 2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures and a puzzle - $14 total. Today, the day after finishing all of my Christmas shopping for the year, I total my receipts to find that my recipient list has almost tripled and my total spend has increased to over $800. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and make more money (slightly) that I did 10 years ago. Maybe it's because I'm more compassionate then I was as an adolescent. Maybe it's because society is materialistic and everyone is defined bywhat they own: a true society of the have's and have-not's.
It blows my mind to see the things that are advertised on television as Christmas presents: a $4,000 flat screen TV, and $3,000 dining room set, a $64,000 Lexus!? Who exactly is buying a Lexus as a Christmas gift? Or even more upsetting, who is ASKING for a Lexus as a Christmas gift?
To me, now as always, it's the sentiments inside the $3 greeting card that I'm looking for, whether it's attached to a roll of paper towels or a convertible.
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