Holiday Materialism 2015 - The frog, the owl, the stuff, REI, and Black Friday

Last year, instead of rebelliously lying in bed on Black Friday, my wife and I rebelliously went hiking in Caprock Canyon. It was a day that brought us closer together and a day in which we did not grow more cynical in our view of humanity. (Storming the doors of Target or Wally World or Best Buy at 2am would have spawned great animosity toward our fellow man.)

It was also a day in which we did not grow deeper in debt but we did grow deeper in appreciation for the natural world.

Recently, I noticed there is a movement to get people outside and out of town on black Friday. REI (the sporting goods people) have been leading the charge this year with the #optoutside movement. REI is closing up shop on Black Friday so that their people (and theoretically their customers) can get outside and do something memorable, meaningful, and healthy rather than jumping into the meleé that is Black Friday shopping. I can attest that it's a great plan! So can Mattie and Kylie who went to Caprock Canyon with us last year. It was a great day and I can still vividly remember that time. I especially remember the smile in my wife's eyes that day.

Gratuitous Black Friday 2014 black dog panorama!

 

This year, I do not know that we will have the luxury to sneak away on Black Friday, but I do want to make sure that we focus on something more meaningful than shopping. In the world of stuff. this has been a rough year. Frankly, we grow tired of being owned by our stuff.

The High Price of Materialism (And I thought frogs were the good guys.)

The Story of Stuff (The Mesquite Hugger staff has a big ol' eco crush on Annie Leonard)

 

So don't just stand there - Bust an Ad!

 

I haven't talked it over with my brown-eyed girl, but I hope to make this Black Friday into Bake Friday - not the fake-bake or the get baked version, but the one where we bake stuff to give our friends for the holidays. (Mattie and Kylie would be all about that too!) Or maybe it should be Instructables Friday, where we build recycled Instructables as gifts. Maybe we should call it Help-Us-Clean-House Friday and invite all of our friends over. Maybe...I am taking this too far.

 

May your day after Thanksgiving be something more than charging boldly into debt. 

 

 

Walking, Coffee, Stuff, Minimalism Challenge, Saturday Mornings, etc.

As I get a bit older, I keep thinking differently about stuff and busy-ness.

Some of that fancy latté art

Let's talk about Saturday mornings. I love Saturday mornings. I sleep in a little on Saturdays, almost an hour longer than normal. I get up quietly, throw on some clothes, grab a few things, and walk over to the local coffeehouse. Besides clothes, I have my ever-present phone, wallet, and keys. I also carry a grocery bag, my journal, my bible, a pen, and some cheater glasses. The grocery bag I fill up with trash as I walk the neighborhood and drop it in a dumpster near the coffeehouse. I am usually one of the first to arrive at the coffeehouse. I order a single coffee drink and a whole-wheat cinnamon roll. I sit in the back corner reading, writing, sipping, munching, and sometimes planning blog posts. I am usually there about an hour. As I walk home, I pick recyclables up. When I get home, I usually climb back in bed with my lovely wife - she is not a morning person, and that is probably a good thing.

The thing about these particular Saturday mornings, I have everything I need. I usually spend around five dollars. In our world of stuff and hurry, this is a time of little stuff and little hurry. Weather does not affect it. I can walk in snow, rain, fog, heat, wind. The coffee can be hot, cold, good, terrible. The cinnamon roll can be the same. The temperature inside the building also matters little.

The only variable that ever messes things up for me is noise level. If the music is too loud and distracting or the patrons are too loud and distracting, then I get nervous and don't enjoy the morning so much. I go there seeking a reverential contentment, but noise can melt that away. (I should probably re-think the ever-present cell phone too.)

For me, contentment is the important word. I am not seeking joy or happiness. On Saturday mornings, I work at being content. When I find that - happiness, joy, patience, even a tiny bit of wisdom - things all seem to fall in place. The week is better, and I have more resilience to face it and to care for those who need me.

After having read this far - pat yourself on the back for attention-span endurance - here is a nifty little pair of links to help you if you are trying to slow down a bit to seek a bit of contentment:

Green Livivng Ideas article about the minimalism challenge

The 30-day Minimalism Challenge

I am a big fan of days 1, 4, 10, and 24. I dont think I will struggle much with days 9, 17, and 23.

May you find some contentment in your days. Thank you, as always, for reading this blog!

A not so Black Friday

My wife and I celebrated our nation's busiest shopping day by taking our two permanent foster dogs for a hike in Caprock Canyons State Park.

On the trip there, we encountered a massive flock of Sandhill cranes and two flocks of turkey. Birds make me happy!

The only wildlife we encountered on the trail was a small Texas spiny lizard. He made me happy too! There were lots of tracks and lots of scat, but I did not memorize the Urban Bestiary well enough to identify much.

The people and dogs we met on the the trail were quick with a kind word or a tail wag. Kylie and Matilda had a great time on the trail and survived the ride there and back.

My wife and I experienced one of the more beautiful places in Texas together and saw the sun set on red rock and veins of white quartz. It's hard to imagine a better day.

May you know such beauty!

In case your holiday calendar is missing a few things...

Black Friday

Buy Nothing Day

 

Small Business Saturday

 

Cyber Monday

 

Giving Tuesday

May your calendar reflect your beliefs.