10 Days to Go...words for Christmas

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Last December, near the end of my Christmassy blog, I wrote (in part):
‘…..Could we, as a result of (thoughtless and worry-inducing) Christmas spending, be less of a consumer in the coming year?
Could we continue to think more of others – and value them – and think less of ourselves?
And carry the Christmas spirit further?
And…be grateful that we have the money to spend - even if we are still paying it off in 2016!?
 
I think Steven Pinker’s book about “Our Better Angels” mentions the ‘better angels’ of:
‘self control,
empathy,
moral sense
and reason’. 
Just four attributes we should all cultivate at this time of year ~
and then have a HAPPY CHRISTMAS!’
 
Well, as near as I can see, no one took much notice of my 2015 advice about being less of a consumer – not that I really expected anyone to!
As Christmas nears again and in (reluctant) visits to the local (huge) shopping centre, I continue to see harassed looking people pushing trolleys full to overflowing.
 
In the trolleys, in amongst the piles of toys, clothing and wrapping paper, there seems to be an awful lot of even more (light-weight plastic & synthetic) junky stuff.
Sorry to seem like a Christmas Grinch but, after one or two days, those rubbishy bits and pieces just end up as land-fill -  or stuff to contribute towards making  cupboards (entire houses?) messy & untidy.
And, even when things seem cheap, if you add the cost of each item, you’d be surprised at the total amount spent on junk.
 
Am I being Scrooge?
I am certainly not suggesting the ‘Bah, humbug, get rid of Christmas giving’ approach. I am simply advocating that we give more thought to the value of what we buy and the reason for giving.
Sure, I probably seem a bit grumpy about this, but in my defence, grumpy actually comes with wisdom; the wisdom that comes with age!

Have a think  - and give your thoughts not only to the loved ones you are buying for but think of our poor over-burdened planet that is straining under the weight of trash, garbage, rubbish , waste, refuse, litter, dross  -  in other words, CRAP.
Not to mention the needless energy and pollution in creating this crap.
  
Remember Steven Pinker’s ‘better angels’ of:
‘self control,
empathy,
moral sense
and reason’?
 
Try them.
And have a Happy Christmas everyone.