First consider that:
* At 6:00 on the morning after Thanksgiving, millions of Americans were lined up in the dark outside big-box chain stores to be the first to swarm over billions of dollars of stuff - brand new stuff, created with new resources from the Earth
*One nation accounts for 5% of the population and 40-50% of the resource consumption of the planet. Guess which.
*Some of the good stuff we already have isn't being well used or fully enjoyed.
*Giving gifts for the holidays is fun. Most of us want to continue giving gifts.
SO WE'RE DOING IT DIFFERENTLY--LIKE THIS:
Step 1. Find 3-5 quality items in your home, shop or office that someone would enjoy as a gift... fun, useful, interesting or beautiful items in really good shape that you feel you can spare .
("Quality" doesn't mean "expensive". It means well-made, worthwhile, likely to be valued. The original price doesn't matter).
Step 2. Bring them to the Historic Ashland Armory. Don't just drop your stuff off. We're doing more than that. Bring the present of your presence. Stick around to visit, tell a story or two about what you brought to the person who wants it, and find some things that you'd like to take away to give as gifts to others (a gift to yourself is ok, too). Bring along a small blanket or towel on which to display your items.There won't be any bargaining; you just bring what you're ready to give away and take away whatever you'd like.
Step 3. Then use the gifts you take home to reduce your new gift purchases.
Three simple steps, that's it. This will be our own Holiday shopping event, a round of giving and receiving that includes no money and no new demands on resources. For some of us it may also be a stretching exercise - a chance to let go of stuff, or let go of worries that we might not get back "our fair share", or more fully let go of commercially-planted ideas that it's not a real gift if it's not shiny & new from the store.
NEW THIS YEAR! Holiday Cookie Swap: If you'd like, bring your favorite not-too-gooey holiday cookie or treat to share with others. We'll enjoy them with holiday tea.