Thanksgiving is over and many of us are on to Christmas. There is much to decide—what do we put on the table, under the tree, around the house, on our neighbor’s door-step? The “under the tree” part can be a bit daunting, especially when we are trying to make our money stretch into improbable formations. Unfortunately, we have all read the results that have occurred when someone values a $10 discount more than a life, and replaces this season of peace with one of midnight shopping frenzy.
We recently read this article from
Care2 written by Dave Chameides, an environmental educator and freelance filmmaker. We believe the message to be thought provoking and worth sharing with our readers. You may even have some “commandments” of your own that you may want to add.
Oh, and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, and Kwanza.
Dave Chameides...
“… let’s all relax, take a deep breath, and take another look at the 10 Commandments, but with a capitalist twist. I mean no disrespect to anyone here, but this is a list that a large number of us know and it does have a few good pointers. To keep it simple, I’m going with the Wikipedia translation.
1. I am the Lord your God. Recognize that stuff isn’t going to make you happy, but faith in whatever it is you believe in, love, and understanding are what’s important. The iPhone can wait.
2. You Shall Have No Other Gods Before You. That Wii may be cool, but making it the focal point of your life isn’t doing anyone any good. Get yourself out into nature for a few minutes. Play with your kids. Read a book.
3. You Shall Not Make Wrongful Use of the Name of Your God. As in “So help me God, I’ll kill you if you don’t let go of that Suzie Barfs-A-Lot Doll.” That’s just not neighborly.
4. Remember the Sabbath and Keep It Holy. A stretch on this one, but maybe we could all take a day or two off each week from consuming and do some good instead? Just a thought.
5. Honor Your Mother and Father. Ask yourself “Would my parents be proud of how I’m acting?”
6. You Shall Not Murder. Ya see, it doesn’t say, “unless something is 20 percent below cost,” it just says don’t do it. Simple.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Not touching that one (pun intended).
8. You Shall Not Steal. Let that little girl have the doll she’s holding. Sure you’re bigger and can take it before her mommy sees, but come on.
9. You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor. All right, this one doesn’t work so much, but it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on, no?
10. You Shall Not Covet Anything That Belongs To Your Neighbor. Simply put, let the Joneses be the Joneses and let the Smiths be the Smiths. The things that you have that are important can’t be bought and can’t be sold. They are learned and passed along from one generation to the next. Take a look at who you are, and stop worrying about everyone else.
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