Now that the Holidays are Over

Now that the holidays are over we can all get back to our lives. The holidays are great but they sure put a crimp in your life. All the obligations, gatherings, eating, and money spending is getting ridiculous really. But it does motivate us to make changes in our lives. When you see the Visa bill, the piles of waste that is produced and how much fat has accumulated around your already bloated midsection, any normal person sees that changes are needed. It's all so overindulgent. Now I'm not being a Scrooge, the act of sharing and giving is the stuff of the holidays. But are we giving to who really needs it? Are we giving to make the our world a better place. Are we supporting the arts or just Walmart.
Wouldn't it be great to give our loved ones things that they can use for their whole lives? Consider giving Gym memberships, art classes, cooking lesson, music lessons, money toward a higher education, maybe even a book that instruct people how to plant and maintain a garden, a fishing trip with someone who can teach how to become better angler, (sorry for the shameless plug), or books... good books that can be passed around and shared.
Last night my wife and I went so see a Soul and Blues band at our local theater. Presentations are put on by a local group calling themselves "Tour De Fort". They bring in acts from around Canada. The yearly membership to see these acts is incredibly cheap. $110.00 gets you into at least 10 shows. One concert in the city can cost much more that that. I am sure other communities around Canada do the same thing but how many people know about it or support it. What a terrific gift to give for next year. You would be supporting the arts, give a gift that gives for months, you support community and the artist themselves but most of all you give the music and the stories it tells. The band "Paramedic" was great. Instead of selling their records between sets or after the show, they gave them away for a donation that goes to Oxfam. In a world full of greed and lust for fame, I was impressed by this gesture. Way to go guys and you did Curtis Mayfield proud.