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Saturday, November 30, 2019

"Brain 4"

Thanksgiving has happened so now America shops for Christmas.  Well, I don't, but it seems like everyone else does.  The economy depends on it.  It seems to me there has got to be better ways to base economies than just accumulating stuff.  I'm more inclined to give home cooked food.  People eat the cookies or whatever and they aren't burdened with more things to cram into their houses or landfills.

I recently lectured a couple of my friends about buying kids too much plastic.  I felt guilty afterwards as both friends are enthusiastic grandmas who want to spoil their grandchildren -- but maybe they are exactly the kinds of people I should lecture about plastic?

Think about it, we ship oil across the world to be turned into plastic in a third world country, or we buy oil from the Middle East with its problems, before shipping it to the third world country.  Making the plastic is a toxic mess that gets into the air and water, poisoning the underpaid workers and getting into the global environment.  Once the all-important plastic stuff is created, it's shipped back around the world where it will be used for a short time before it's thrown away.  This doesn't even factor in the excessive plastic packaging, or the trees that are cut down for all the Amazon shipping boxes, or the fact that there are oil spills and other mistakes that dump plastic in the oceans.

When I visit the homes of people with children, I'm amazed at the amount of stuff little kids have.  It's crazy.  The kids don't even play with all that stuff.  One family has a couple of T-ball stands in the back yard.  I watched the boys have a good time whacking plastic balls with plastic bats.  That's nice, except I drove home and thought about the old days.  T-ball was a wooden post nailed to a wooden X base.  The ball was leather stuffed with who knows what, rat fur as far as I know.  Renewable resources at any rate.  The kids learned to hit the ball, then they didn't need the T anymore.  The wood was used for something else or it returned to the Earth by rotting in the backyard, but the plastic T, bat, and ball exists forever and probably end us in a bird's stomach.

I know, I know, some of you adore Christmas shopping.  You love spoiling the kiddies.  I know nobody wants to be lectured.  At the same time, can I suggest that you buy more Earth-friendly gifts?  Cuddling a kid on the couch and reading a book together is good.  Every kid (and adult) loves cookies.  Maybe you could make a snuggly stuffed animal or blankie for them?  I'm not anti-gift, I'm just trying to stop people from giving their kids their weight in plastic every year.  Give them experiences and memories.  Take them to the zoo or make crafts together.

I did this Christmas art for the Mensa Bulletin's December issue.  It doesn't have much to do with "brain" other than encouraging people to use their brains a little differently when shopping.  Illustration Friday has forgotten the meaning of Friday in its name.  Oh well, if they don't follow the rules that frees me up to ignore the rules too, right?

I hope everyone has a happy, cookie filled, plastic-free holiday season!

12 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your post..l like the idea of sitting with you child and reading..more parents should be doing that..
    ..

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    1. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve cuddling and books. I wish those memories for every kid and the adults in their lives.

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  2. I actually panic when someone gives me a "thing" that I have to find a place for. I'd much prefer cookies, candles or soaps, items I can use up.

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    1. Great ideas! I recently gave prettily scented lotion and that went over great too :)

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  3. Linda, and Anne and Clamco, I agree with you all.

    I agree with Clamco on giving useful gifts that do not accumulate, like food, candles, soaps, but also books that can be donated after reading to charity bookshops.

    I remember that I had to force myself to smile when my child got a plastic toy. Especially those that are battery operated and make noise, arghh! All, I wanted enchanting toys that would last generations, made from wood. I think you are right about lecturing (or educating) your friends.

    Just make up your own Illustration Friday theme. You are creative!

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    1. I love books. I also love seeing what kinds of books people give. Often they're something I wouldn't pick up on my own but I end up loving them.

      Someone I know says she purposely gives noisy toys to others as punishment for all the noisy toys her kids received when they were young. I laugh, but hope maybe people will think more before giving such things :)

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    2. What a hilarious way of taking revenge! :-) Still, we need to stop buying that stuff. When we all stop buying battery and microphone operating children's toys, all that stuff will be taken out of production. And that is our collective ambition.

      And, Linda, I know you will like this article in the Guardian.

      https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/01/declutter-so-you-can-reclutter-kondo-has-a-new-master-plan

      Enjoy..but do not re-clutter. (A new word for me).
      Paula

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    3. Thankfully, my current stuff brings me enough joy that I don't need to buy Kondo's overpriced junk. You're right about the batteries. They're another polluting, non-necessary thing to quit buying for kid toys.

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  4. Plastic is so hard. I gave up straws. But I miss them. (I use re-usable which alas, are plastic too. I'm very mindful at least. Uff da.

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    1. I'm with you about the straws. I miss them too. There are some pretty good paper straws these days though. Need spurs innovation, right?

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  5. The brains keep coming!
    Personally, I prefer experiential gifts - tickets to a concert, massage, lift ticket, etc. Please, no more "stuff"!
    Raising kids with 3 sets of grandparents made me dread Christmas. I know I wasn't alone!

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    1. I love the idea of concert tickets and massages! Maybe you'll inspire more people to gift the same :)

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