An article for the upcoming edition of the Sextant. Written and Unedited by yours truly.


This time of year is always considered “the season of giving,” but how much of this “giving” really comes from the heart? Every weekend countless organizations stand at the corners of busy intersections walking from car to car in search of donations. The people who do donate don’t give the money because they really want to help and give charity; they donate because they feel guilty. Is this an honorable way to collect donations? Should people donate out of sheer guilty conscience and not the desire to contribute? Maybe we need to start rethinking our motives. During the holidays, so many people spread the gospel of good cheer, but at the same time keep their road rage at an all time high. Woodfield Mall’s parking lot is packed every weekend with noisy obnoxious shoppers who insist on heckling slow drivers, slow walkers, and slow buyers. The lines are long and seething with irritation. It certainly sounds like good cheer. Its time to look beyond Woodfield and get a deeper understanding of what “giving” is really all about.
The holidays are more than just the simple act of buy presents. People always feel compelled to buy gifts for acquaintances not because they are caring, but because they are selfish. Of course a nice gesture could brighten someone’s day, but it could also make the giver feel all warm and tingly inside. Aye, there’s the rub. In giving, people give to themselves the satisfaction of knowing they put that extra effort into getting presents for everyone they know. People see presents as a median of exchange, and in so doing, always expect to receive a gift in return. This thought process affects the way people shop for presents. The ideas of thoughtful and meaningful presents have long since been forgotten. The priorities of today’s shoppers are simple: gifts that are cheap and impersonal. By adhering to these criteria, shopping will be less hectic and certainly more affordable; thus allowing everyone to spend more time doing what America does best: eating and complaining. It seems our glass of eggnog is half empty and maybe we need to work on appreciating for the upcoming secular break for what it really is: a chance to relax and spend time with family and friends.