Confession Tuesday

Dear Reader,

I have much to confess around the sin of gluttony, Thanksgiving, reader. I ate more pie than anyone else. I confess. I confess to throwing a small tantrum when I couldn't find the leftover stuffing, what was I do to without the stuffing? Reader, sometimes I am ruled by my stomach.

So let's begin...

Off with the Hippo's Head (again) --

I wrote a long ranty post about the prices of kid's toys and how corporate America tries to make you feel as if you're missing something by not owing their product, or make your kids feel as if they are missing out. It was long and cranky. It talked about simple living. Opting out of the lifestyle that suggests you must upgrade often. It talked about how poorly made things were (there were some harsh words against today's Hungry Hungry Hippos game vs. the one from the 70's that actually worked without falling apart.)

But I deleted this post because I realize it was really my morning pages from Artist Way and not really a post. It was a rant. And I wanted to spare you my speech from my soapbox.

I think you already know that kid's toys are WAY TOO PRICEY and commercials just want you to feel bad about yourself so you buy something...that will probably break, or be lost, or not work, or work well enough. And you can see how this confession is moving toward rant, so I will stop and say that when the commercialism of the season gets you down and your kids (if you have kids) ask for some overpriced toy you can't afford, smile knowing you only have 23 days of this and then it's gone.

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Okay, that said, the rest of Christmas I love. I have my tree up. I'm eating chocolate out of Advent calendar. I'm singing Christmas carols in the house, in the car. I love Christmas movies especially Elf, A Christmas Story, and Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown. And this may surprise you, but I also like presents. Thoughtful presents though, not expensive presents. My best presents would be a new wonderful pillow (my dream present) one that doesn't get flat and hurt my neck. Or new PJs or yoga pants. Or a book. Or a drawing someone took the time to make for me or a note.

I just don't like it when companies tell me my life is not as good as it should be because I'm wearing the wrong pants or my cellphone doesn't organize satellites by country.

Don't believe commercials. Or ads. Or magazines. Or reality shows. Believe the sunrise and the first bite of your breakfast. Believe the "I love you's" that are said spontaneously. Believe that first blast of cold air (or warm air if you're Jeannine in Southern Cal) and how the clouds look (or don't look) and let whatever birds are in your neighborhood tell you that life is just fine. Just fine with your old computer and your blackberryless phone. Believe that the best things in life aren't things.

See I so want to rant. I'm holding back.

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More confessions--

I ate more than my fair share of pumpkin pie this weekend. And whipped cream. I didn't mention the whipped cream.

We ended up with two turkeys for Thanksgiving. One we cooked ourselves, and one smoked turkey purchased impulsively by my mum who never believes we will have enough to eat.

Every year we put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. And usually sometime in December there is an accident and the tree falls over (our family tradition). I was talking to Jeannine last year on my phone when fell over that time.

I still have to come up with my 3 good deeds for my family's Christmas gift to each other. On Thanksgiving, new rules were being created like "the person you're doing the good deed for can't know that it's you." I said this with cause us all to have to dress up in a disguise or costume if we were going to do any volunteer work or give any donations. The goal is not to frighten the people we're helping. So we're remaining open on this one, but if we can remain anonymous, then we'll try to.

I don't want to overthink my deeds and most likely, will just do them when they come up, but I do want them to be thoughtful. I really don't want to be the one at the dinner table on Christmas day saying that my good deed was that I let someone merge in front of me on the freeway with honking obnoxiously at them or that I made sure I put the little red flag up for the mail lady. This is my fear--that I won't come up with something *good,* so I won't do anything.

Sometimes this is how life works. We're so afraid of screwing up that we just sit there and do nothing. Sometimes it's just better to try and see what happens. I will. Try that is.

And I promise my good deed will not be deleting my commercialism rant so you didn't have to read it. Because as I look back, I got a lot of down here. I confess, I may have snuck in a mild rant disguised as a confession. Forgive me. I thought you might agree.

And here's a challenge-- do 3 good deeds this month. Or at least one. To anyone. At anytime. And it doesn't matter if they can see you or know you. Help someone with their groceries. Buy and extra bag of pasta and drop it in the Food Bank bin at the front of the store. Smile at someone you would never smile at or who looks like they need a smile. Write a letter to a friend you haven't seen in while. Leave an old book at a bus stop with a note that says "Enjoy."

And drop me a note (kelli (at) agodon. com) about what happens. Or leave a note in the comment section about what you did . I'm curious about how it all works out.



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