The other day I went to the mall for the first time since I quit my full-time job three months ago. I went to go and buy a new mascara. This ’shopping trip’ was horrifying and I left the mall feeling completely disheartened and overwhelmed. THERE IS SOOOO MUCH STUFF around!!! It seemed to me that every shop had AT LEAST one item that was too gorgeous or too much of a bargain to leave the shop without. However, I can proudly say I did only buy the mascara, but I wish I had never gone.
For the three months I have not needed anything. No new clothes, no new shoes, no…no….no. Suddenly, one morning at the shops and I MUST HAVE new everything…. and not leaving the mall with them made me unhappy! This got me thinking … why do we shop and buy? Does consumerism consume us or is it still as simple as to need, to shop to buy?
During my research I came across this fantastic video called “The Story of Stuff” with Annie Leonard. For the past 20 years she has been studying where “Stuff” comes from and where it goes. For example; Did you know that we consume 3 times what we used to in the 1950’s? Did you know that for every 3 dustbins you recycle the equivalent of 50 dustbins of trash comes out of the factories. Recycling is not the bigger picture. Consumption is. Want is. Visit the Story of Stuff Blog and watch the video. It is definitely worth the time.
