Well December has started and the run up to Christmas is really taking shape with present buying, parties, family gatherings and such and I dare say there is quite a lot going on for everyone. I find December is somewhat of a maelstrom of emotional pulls leaving me feeling overwrought and wrung out.
I have to say that over the last few years things have improved and the stresses of Christmas have reduced but I still find the emotive advertising something I could do without. If it isn’t charity boxes on the streets, or TV adverts promoting giving/buying or just the Christmas cards coming on bulk from charities, I find the dark nights and afternoons so depressing I would rather hole up indoors watching movies.
But realistically getting past the advertising is becoming more of a burden. My family believe in charity beginning at home and I have tended to feel that if I want to give I will and I do not need powerful stories of poverty, loneliness or loss to stimulate my giving and yet I know that these advertising schemes bring in a lot of donations that help a lot of people but for someone as sensitive as I am I find them very draining. In fact mostly I get angry as I feel manipulated, however the lack of a TV aerial has really helped me unplug from the more constant barrage. TV on demand what a God send, it’s fantastic.
Advertising has been very much aimed at prompting emotional responses as it these that are coupled with our decision making and often override some of our common sense, and result in us purchasing things. Being sensitive has resulted in a bigger emotional drain than most and I can well do without feeling guilty, or a failure, for not being able to buy expensive gifts, or even several gifts. I look at the gifts and ask myself, do the people I care about need them, do they want them even?
Mostly they don’t but there is still the question of whether I feel a failure because even if they wanted them I couldn’t buy them?
No. Christmas giving of presents is a symbol of how much a person cares. The presents size or price isn’t a measure of how much you care either. A well thought out present says I care, and it can be as simple as spending time to buy someone a drink or have a night out, or in with them. It can be something you made, that’s not perfect but is thoughtful and very them.
The recent story of a poppy seller in the news has brought home to me how damaging this kind of advertising can be. It has been a common theme for a long while with shops but their stories I find are a lot easier to resist feeling guilty over. When I see people suffering, lonely or in need of help it really strikes chord within me and despite my low income I want to help but often I simply can’t.
I have got through without too much guilt but it can be hard to face down people in need and consider whether you can afford to give. The calls for food for this disaster or medical supplies can and do bring tears to my eyes but I cannot give to everything, I simply cannot afford to and I would much rather see the rich and famous or at the very least some politicians making large donations to these causes rather than those who can ill afford to give. I find it has brought a callousness to me in a very decided not giving mentality. I do not wish to give to a charity that will hound people, who will guilt people by delivering gifts and asking for a donation. If I disapprove of your tactics or what kind of reputation you have for advertising then I’m not going to give.
I want to feel good about giving, not guilty so this year I am countering the advertising guilt by choosing a charity that I haven’t seen advertising to give to. Something that I care about but really I would like to see charities in particular think more about pledging to spend more of their budget/ find raising on the people they serve and less on getting their adverts on TV.
It might seem strange but really I wish that charities didn’t need to advertise in such big ways to raise the money that they need to provide their services. A little more giving from the rich would go a long way to help because it looks very much like they have forgotten that they have so much that they can afford to give. Wouldn’t it be good to see a few politicians pledging to donations to charity this Christmas?
I have to say that over the last few years things have improved and the stresses of Christmas have reduced but I still find the emotive advertising something I could do without. If it isn’t charity boxes on the streets, or TV adverts promoting giving/buying or just the Christmas cards coming on bulk from charities, I find the dark nights and afternoons so depressing I would rather hole up indoors watching movies.
But realistically getting past the advertising is becoming more of a burden. My family believe in charity beginning at home and I have tended to feel that if I want to give I will and I do not need powerful stories of poverty, loneliness or loss to stimulate my giving and yet I know that these advertising schemes bring in a lot of donations that help a lot of people but for someone as sensitive as I am I find them very draining. In fact mostly I get angry as I feel manipulated, however the lack of a TV aerial has really helped me unplug from the more constant barrage. TV on demand what a God send, it’s fantastic.
Advertising has been very much aimed at prompting emotional responses as it these that are coupled with our decision making and often override some of our common sense, and result in us purchasing things. Being sensitive has resulted in a bigger emotional drain than most and I can well do without feeling guilty, or a failure, for not being able to buy expensive gifts, or even several gifts. I look at the gifts and ask myself, do the people I care about need them, do they want them even?
Mostly they don’t but there is still the question of whether I feel a failure because even if they wanted them I couldn’t buy them?
No. Christmas giving of presents is a symbol of how much a person cares. The presents size or price isn’t a measure of how much you care either. A well thought out present says I care, and it can be as simple as spending time to buy someone a drink or have a night out, or in with them. It can be something you made, that’s not perfect but is thoughtful and very them.
The recent story of a poppy seller in the news has brought home to me how damaging this kind of advertising can be. It has been a common theme for a long while with shops but their stories I find are a lot easier to resist feeling guilty over. When I see people suffering, lonely or in need of help it really strikes chord within me and despite my low income I want to help but often I simply can’t.
I have got through without too much guilt but it can be hard to face down people in need and consider whether you can afford to give. The calls for food for this disaster or medical supplies can and do bring tears to my eyes but I cannot give to everything, I simply cannot afford to and I would much rather see the rich and famous or at the very least some politicians making large donations to these causes rather than those who can ill afford to give. I find it has brought a callousness to me in a very decided not giving mentality. I do not wish to give to a charity that will hound people, who will guilt people by delivering gifts and asking for a donation. If I disapprove of your tactics or what kind of reputation you have for advertising then I’m not going to give.
I want to feel good about giving, not guilty so this year I am countering the advertising guilt by choosing a charity that I haven’t seen advertising to give to. Something that I care about but really I would like to see charities in particular think more about pledging to spend more of their budget/ find raising on the people they serve and less on getting their adverts on TV.
It might seem strange but really I wish that charities didn’t need to advertise in such big ways to raise the money that they need to provide their services. A little more giving from the rich would go a long way to help because it looks very much like they have forgotten that they have so much that they can afford to give. Wouldn’t it be good to see a few politicians pledging to donations to charity this Christmas?
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