Goodness At Heart

The weather outside is certainly frightful. The first snow has already fallen,

and as I drive down the street I cannot help but notice the spectacle of lights

that garnish the modest homes of middle class America. Oh yes, it is Christmas

time, the most wonderful time of the year, right? It should be at this time, if

not any other time of year where we can be have peace on earth and show love and

compassion for our fellow man. Don’t believe me? I’m not surprised; you don’t

have to look very hard to find the despicable behavior that encompasses the

holiday season. The one event that to me that symbolizes the corruption of

Christmas is the trampling of a Wal-Mart employee as hundreds of dollar-crazed

shoppers rushed the main entrance. The crowd was so frenzied to get inside and

have the opportunity to purchase this season’s hottest item at a discounted

price that before the poor man could get the doors open he was knocked to the

ground and trampled to death by hundreds of shoppers.

It is sad that the meaning of Christmas has dissolved from a time of rejoice and

celebration, to a season of stress and materialism. However, I would not place

the blame on Christmas, or even on the corporations that choose to exploit it;

but instead on the degradation of our society. Every day of our lives we are

exposed to=2 0mass media that constantly force feeds us values of vanity and

materialism, and defines success and happiness in terms material and monetary

possession. I guess that is one of the drawbacks from living in a capitalistic

society run by greedy and corrupt corporations whose sole purpose for existence

is turning the biggest possible profit at any expense, never hesitating to

ignore morality and ethics.

I believe in the goodness at the heart of people. I believe that it is a

person’s character that defines them, not what shoes they wear or what car they

drive. I believe that the less people connect their happiness with materials the

happier they will ultimately be. One can never feel fulfilled or happy if all he

or she ever does is drool over the newest model of Lexus, or the trendiest new

smart phone. I feel that our society would be in a much better place if more

people chose to ignore the corruption that the media projects on us, and chose

to make the best with what they have. Instead of putting so much emphasis on

vanity and material goods, we should enjoy the time we have with our friends and

family, or spend our hard earned money on a vacation or a fulfilling passion;

something with actual value in life, something fulfilling. What would you rather

have at the end of your life; expensive cars and a nice house, or a good story

to tell? It is pathetic that even at the time of year that used to be when

selflessness and fellowship between men was most important, we still let the

media’s materialistic values run our lives.