Looking at the calendar I realize there isn't a ton of time until Christmas, but I have no idea when I'll get to go shopping for presents; partly this is due to the majority of my family not responding to my requests for wants and wishes. For now I blame them that I have only 2 things (both of which have major assembly required so I can't count them as real presents) and no real ideas of fun things for anyone.
In every holiday season I very quickly get discouraged by the commercialism of Christmas. My social conscience could shut up in December, but instead it gets louder, yelling as I walk by store windows of pretty, shiny, generally useless, but fun, stuff, "you don't have a thing in the world you need, nor does anyone you love." The other side of me always pipes up and says "hey, there's value in just getting something because you like it or want it. Life isn't only about need." I blame my Puritanical roots for my struggle with capitalism.
Last year I opted to make donations in everyone's name, in addition to a present or two. For the most part that was thoughtful in that I tried to find causes that would suit the person. Except when it came time to do something for Tara. For her I was sorely tempted to buy 12 pit toilets in her name for an African village. I settled on water filters to prevent childhood diarrhea (a word I feel as though I can never spell correctly) something that more subtly implied my thoughts on her behavior). This year, if I do donations, I'd like to think more locally. With the US economy so far in the toilet, my inclination is to help my fellow Americans more than others in the world. And, so far as I know, there will be no need to purchase any gifts for the wicked wife.
Mostly, I'm lacking in inspiration for things people might enjoy or things that might be nice to do in their name. Perhaps once next week is over room will open up in my brain and I'll be able to turn my thoughts to the holiday spirit...
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