One Lean Christmas

I heard an interview with an economist. “Will a waste not, want not lifestyle evolve?” he was asked. He said “no”. He said the recession will not last long enough for people to make permanent lifestyle changes. As soon as it is over, people will go back to their old habits of consumption again. I was disappointed. I think there is a good side to a bad economy. I like that people are thinking about something other than retail consumption, for once. I like that people now have a really good excuse for not buying things they didn't really want to buy anyway. I'd like that way of thinking to be more permanent and less of an excuse.

Although, this new way of thinking has been coming for some time. The DIY movement has been gaining momentum for several years, and I believe that is primarily due to people getting tired of retail consumption. Now that “made in China” has new meaning, I kind of think there would be more DIY than ever, even in a good economy.

I know that the American economy is based on retail consumption. So when I say that I do not like retail consumption, I don’t mean to say that I hate America. I don’t. I love America. I love Americans too. I mean to say that I’m tired of waste, and I miss a way of life that I’ve never really seen or remembered.