Was out with the wife over the weekend shopping for the Grandkids. If we can place one additional "positive" slant on the economic downturn, maybe it will be a bonus to Christmas.
Growing up in the '50s, Christmas was much more of a religious / family oriented Holiday, and much less of the "Greed" display it has become over the past few decades. Regardless of family income, we used to get one or two nice toys, some new dress clothes, and maybe some dreaded socks and underwear! When you received a new baseball mitt or a football, you really appreciated it, and took good care of it always. (Excuse me for sounding like an old grinch!)
Nowhere near the unbelievable amount of gifts parents bestow on their kids lately. Is it because the kids deserve it? Or is it a competition with neighbors and peers to show wealth? Who knows.
Fact is: Kids are kids, and basically do the same stuff we used to do. Before my wife and I moved to the country, we lived for a number of years in two different cul-de-sacs. I was absolutely amazed at how parents would pay for 3 car garages, then have two of the three bays absolutely packed with unused childrens toys, seemingly one each of every toy, children's vehicle, and play-set ever manufactured. The kids usually played basketball in the street with one of those portable pole things, or chased each other around on their bikes. Same things we did as kids, but with 99% less purchases!
I believe this endowment philosophy stays with these kids, and they grow up expecting everything and everything to be handed to them...look around you.
Anyway, hopefully Christmas, and other holidays will get back to the basics, and kids will begin to grow up realising they need to earn things, and work diligently to increase the meaningful quality of their lives.
Thanks for listening.
