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Writer's pictureCarole Murko

Drunk on Consumerism vs Connecting to the True Meaning of theHoliday Season

When I think of my life and the upcoming holiday season, it strikes me that I became drunk on consumerism at an early age.

I remember lying down on the den floor in my olive and cream striped Danskin top, olive pants, and red pin dot Mary Janes. My elbows were bent with my hands under my chin, my legs were crossed behind me and I was watching cartoons. However, the scary thing was that the commercials were what mesmerized me. I would say to myself, Santa, “I want that, and that, and that, and that.” Oh, and I was disappointed when all of THAT didn’t show up under the tree. The proverbial THEY got me. I was lured down the Primrose Path of wanting stuff; hook, line, and sinker.


And now I feel some remorse. Or rather, I feel mad at how so many of us have been manipulated by the forces of capitalism and advertising. The concept of more and more and more and more is not serving us.


All I want now is great health and vitality, financial serenity, and experiences with friends and family,


The true meaning of the holidays is love. Santa is love!

Maybe, just maybe, Santa Claus is an embodiment of love, kindness, and generosity. I think he’s pure goodness and love. He’s hope in a red suit. For a few weeks, he helps us open our hearts to others’ needs and wants. He’s not a puppet of capitalism or the advertising industry. He allows us to pause, imagine, and reconnect to our innocence, to that time when we believed Santa was real, despite our never seeing him come down the chimney; he was mysterious; he was magic. What if I told you, that Santa exists in all of us? He is our heart, our ability to love and be loved, he’s our connection to the miraculous. He’s our connection to what we all want – peace on earth, and goodwill towards all men and women. He opens the light in our hearts.


I implore you to tap into your inner Santa. To make the invisible, visible. The impossible, possible.


‘Tis the season not for rampant consumerism, but unbridled love. Let’s do this.


Show up as LOVE, channel your inner Santa, and watch the magic unfold.

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1 Comment


bobgulla
Dec 08, 2023

Hey Carole, unfortunately, America is essentially a consumer society. We've been conditioned since birth to consume and buy and shop and spend. If we don't do these things, it feels like we're not being American. How much do we hear on the news about the economy, the retail industry, and online spending? Some people even hurt each other storming stores to get the best deals! Imagine that? Most other countries aren't as blatantly consumerist as we are. That said, I do remember like you, watching cartoons for the commercials and making Christmas list based on what we saw on TV. Good memories for sure but they've led us down a sad path and created some bad habits. I'd like to…

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