I really like this one. I respect Christians who want to celebrate Christmas, but I dislike the commercialisation of it. And you are right - joy is murdered. I don't get any joy from 'stuff'. My Christmas will be a very low key lunch with a couple of friends in the bush. Love that!
A relative of mine told me off for my negative view of Christmas when I posted this on fb. Oh well, I stand by it. My Christmas will be at my sisters place with the whole extended family, fun but exhausting. Every year I advocate for no presents but my philosophy is not appreciated :)
I don't think you are being negative at all. Xmas is about people as you basically said. Calling out the ills of consumerism is just telling the truth. I'm not against gifts at Xmas as such - just the inorganic meaningless rubbish people buy that ends up in landfill for 400 years because it doesn't break down.
I love being given little gifts that friends have made or found at the Op Shop. I just finished potting up a few small plants for the friend we will have Xmas lunch with - lavender, borage and oregano. She has a 'donkey garden' near where she keeps her miniature donkeys and I think the idea is to be able to pick from it. She is a 'set and forget' type of gardener so I've picked plants that will self propagate. These ones came up on their own and I need to cull so it's a win-win. More effort than buying plants too. Food is also great to give. I am not into cooking so it's plants for me :)
A memorable line. Frightening too. I am a fan of haiku as well, Kylie. And I have haiku books I shall mention again.
I can see that you hunt for haiku images, rather like an Edwardian botanist hunting for wild orchids. It is another way of looking, a way of seeing connections which only cohere within the haiku. Quite magical. If you can write one haiku a week you are doing well.
Biology, botany and zoology are good training for those who write as you do. It was an American writing teacher who advised her students to go out looking for material, like amateur botanists. The book is *Writing Down the Boxes - Freeing the Writer* by Natalie Goldberg, who also wrote *Wild Mind - Living the Writer's Life*.
Another useful book is *One Continuous Mistake - Four Noble Truths for Writers* by Gail Sher, a Buddhist. I like the title very much.
The aftereffects from that consumption hangover is debt. Which certainly kills joy.
ReplyDeleteYou get it!
DeleteEven without the debt, I feel there's a hangover from the spending and the extra "things" that we all have to accommodate
That is an insightful statement.
ReplyDeletesomeone commented to me that it is all about misplaced emotion. That was also insightful
DeleteToo true!
ReplyDeleteSx
and the wheel of consumerism turns...
DeleteI really like this one. I respect Christians who want to celebrate Christmas, but I dislike the commercialisation of it. And you are right - joy is murdered. I don't get any joy from 'stuff'. My Christmas will be a very low key lunch with a couple of friends in the bush. Love that!
ReplyDeleteA relative of mine told me off for my negative view of Christmas when I posted this on fb.
DeleteOh well, I stand by it.
My Christmas will be at my sisters place with the whole extended family, fun but exhausting. Every year I advocate for no presents but my philosophy is not appreciated :)
I don't think you are being negative at all. Xmas is about people as you basically said. Calling out the ills of consumerism is just telling the truth. I'm not against gifts at Xmas as such - just the inorganic meaningless rubbish people buy that ends up in landfill for 400 years because it doesn't break down.
DeleteI love being given little gifts that friends have made or found at the Op Shop. I just finished potting up a few small plants for the friend we will have Xmas lunch with - lavender, borage and oregano. She has a 'donkey garden' near where she keeps her miniature donkeys and I think the idea is to be able to pick from it. She is a 'set and forget' type of gardener so I've picked plants that will self propagate. These ones came up on their own and I need to cull so it's a win-win. More effort than buying plants too. Food is also great to give. I am not into cooking so it's plants for me :)
*Joy soon murdered.*
ReplyDeleteA memorable line. Frightening too.
I am a fan of haiku as well, Kylie. And I have haiku books I shall mention again.
I can see that you hunt for haiku images, rather like an Edwardian botanist hunting for wild orchids.
It is another way of looking, a way of seeing connections which only cohere within the haiku. Quite magical.
If you can write one haiku a week you are doing well.
I really love the reference to an Edwardian botanist, especially as I long ago studied biology, including a semester of botany & zoology
DeleteBiology, botany and zoology are good training for those who write as you do.
ReplyDeleteIt was an American writing teacher who advised her students to go out looking for material, like amateur botanists.
The book is *Writing Down the Boxes - Freeing the Writer* by Natalie Goldberg, who also wrote *Wild Mind - Living the Writer's Life*.
Another useful book is *One Continuous Mistake - Four Noble Truths for Writers* by Gail Sher, a Buddhist. I like the title very much.