I think I have come to a realization about myself today: Ok, I'm a fairly intelligent person, and I consider myself to be a critical thinker -- I don't buy into every supposed social norm, I don't blindly follow trends or popular ideologies, and I often question the status quo. First of all, this is part of my job, and secondly, it is just an annoying habit I can't break. But, I realized [while pondering all the fun Valentine's Day posts I want to do on my blog], that I love holidays [consumer-driven as they are], and obviously I love to shop for myself and others...so, what gives? Are these things incompatible with being critical-minded? Next question: Do I care?
The way I see it , life is short and often tedious and painful. I like to have some fun now and again. I like to be creative. I like a little diversity and distraction. We all do. I think holidays can provide something very wonderful and necessary: they allow us to take a break from the norm; they remind us to think of others and be generous; and they give us an excuse to act a bit like children [play games, make things, decorate, send cards or special e-mails, or simply take the day off to relax with loved ones]. And yes, buying things can be part of it, too...if you want. I know some people might say that we should make time to do all of these things without a holiday to force us to, but let's just admit that everyday life, responsibilities, and stresses often take center-stage. I think if we didn't have the holidays to jolt us out of the ordinary and mundane, that we might just get sucked into a black-hole of work and chores.
I admit that I am lucky and that I have the ability to buy gifts [albeit small] for people I care about on holidays; I also admit that others might not be so lucky, and I'm not certain how to reconcile the unfairness of that. Perhaps I'm writing this post to resolve some sort of guilt I think I should feel for being so holiday-happy, but I really think I just want to let that go and allow myself to enjoy it all. Any excuse to have fun and enjoy life seems like a a damn good idea right now! I just hope that whether or not I have money to "buy into" the consumerism associated with holidays, that I will at least always be able to enjoy the lovely things that holidays allow us to partake in. So, I'm just going to milk Valentine's and every other corny holiday for all it's worth ;)
Now, on an entirely consumer-driven note, if anyone can find this Sonia Rykiel tee for me anywhere [even a cheap rip-off], I will send you a big box of chocolates and a great big kiss:
xoxoxox
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