Tue, 23 Dec 2003
'Tis the Season.
Just now, I finished my Christmas shopping. A whole two days early. I think that's a record for me. I've even sent out Christmas cards.
I've noticed though, that since moving to my new place, which happens to be tiny, that I've really been... not discouraged perhaps, but I've been trying to find gifts that either will be meaningful to the person I'm buying for, or be something that has takes up little (or no space).
To that end, I've been rather unsuccessful.
Not to say that I haven't found something for everyone, but I feel more and more that my decisions should be motivated by a more global, sustainable view. It's probably ecogrrl's fault. Recently, she found a brand of canned tuna that is entirely guilt free. (Insofar as eating meat is guilt free.) The tuna is line caught, not net caught, and is something like species targeted or something like that. Basically it means only tuna was harmed in the making of this can of tuna. The downside of this, is that it's rather expensive. But that's the whole problem, really. People don't make choices based on if a purchase is good for the world. They buy a particular thing usually because it's more affordable or of a better quality than the other thing.
I discovered just recently, that my parents are getting on a similar bandwagon of late. My dad, who has been driving a GM Suburban, for about twenty-five years or so, has in the last year or so, downsized to a diesel Jetta. Shortly after he did this, my mom commented to me that she never realised how much they were spending on gas before. Even more to my surprise, I discovered today that my mom is buying "Seventh Generation" brand facial tissues, with a quote right on the box:
In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.
From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy
Wow. They, like, get it.
Maybe next year, I'll have this all figured out, and have world-friendly gifts for everyone.
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