Mall of the living dead
So, I hate shopping malls.
Actually, let me rephrase that, I hate large places that involve people being consumers.
I stopped giving gifts around the holidays a few years ago, and I’ve felt better every year. Not being sucked into the midnight madness sales or the hot new toy every year around this time is great, especially when I catch glimpses of the decorations and the ads and realize I had forgotten all about it.
However, the rare time I find myself at the mall or some big box store park thingy, I lose a little bit more of my belief that humanity can do good. Every time I stand there in the middle of the massive hallway or parking lot while people and/or SUVs whiz by me on their way to the next big discount sale, I wonder why I even bother to be different.
When I’ve been pulled into a Wal-Mart by a friend or relative, I feel a little of my determination and self-pride slip away. How can my action (or perhaps inaction according to their cash registers) even measure-up to the amount of mindless shopping people do? Just because I’m buying my clothes at rock shows or holding onto them until they basically disappear one day in the washing machine, what does that really mean to the corporations that sit back and watch the numbers roll in?
Any thoughts on how one can change this? Successful campaigns that were undertaken to convince family and friends to not buy as much, or maybe even anything, for the holidays?
*My apologies for the non-vegan post, but I figured a post is better than no post, right? Plus, chances are most of you lovely readers avoid the consumerist pull as well as the animal one.
