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Dailies: Buy Nothing Day

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November 23rd is Buy Nothing Day in the USA and Canada. Buy Nothing Day Europe is November 24th.The idea is to opt out of the consumer culture for just one day.

Totally by accident I typed "consumer vulture". Now doesn't that put an interesting spin on things? I wish I've thought of that! It leads right into what I wanted to say.

If the total population of the world were to make the lifestyle of the upper sector of the population in leading Western countries the ideal, one everybody aspires to, one planet earth won’t be enough to supply the raw material needed to sustain such a lifestyle. Such a lifestyle is in essence totally out of step with what our planet has to offer. Through our compulsive buying and consumerism we are quite literally raising consumer vultures waiting to pick the bones of a dying planet.

By not buying on Buy Nothing Day we may not create a major change in the flow of things, but at least we start objecting. At least we begin to reconsider our image of “the good life”. We have to start somewhere. We have an obligation. Drew Dellinger’s Hieroglyphic Stairway captures that so well:

it’s 3:23 in the morning
and I’m awake
because my great great grandchildren
ask me in dreams
what did you do when the planet was plundered?

what did you do when the earth was unravelling?

surely you did something
when the seasons started failing?

as the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying?

did you fill the streets with protest
when democracy was stolen?

what did you do
once
you
knew.....?

We do not have a Buy Nothing Day in South Africa. Not that I know of (anybody with more information on the subject can inform us please). So, we can make our pick from the 23rd or the 24th. Of course, we can use both days, but I didn’t want to push it.

What to do on a day of no shopping, especially over the weekend? Be creative. Really. Be creative. About the day and during the day. Practicing conscious living wherever you are comes to mind as well.

I thought discussing the topic a few days before the actual Buy Nothing Days might help to get the creative juices flowing. If however, these days were used to go and buy stuff and do stockpiling in preparation for the day of no buying – may the vultures descend!

George
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