Christmas Fever

Going home for the holidays was wonderful and at the same time, disorienting. I've only lived in Chicago for a bit over a year and this was my fourth trip home, but I am always shocked at how much things change.

In the city, I rarely put gas in the car more than twice a month. Back home, it seemed like I was driving everywhere, and getting gas ever other day.

Shopping is a lot easier at home too, since I still know where things are, sometimes I have company and I don't have to push through throngs of people to get anywhere. In fact, many of the stores in PA seemed desolate compared to shopping in Chicago. That was nice.

I told my youngest sister about this idea when she picked me up at the airport, but with so much to catch up on and a two year old in the backseat, we didn't discuss it much. I think her opinion was, "That's cool if that is what you want to do."

There was the usual last minute shopping frenzy with my mom. I was finished (except for Luke's gifts. I had one but the other two I had in mind were playing hide and seek and I was loosing!) but my mom wasn't finished yet. We took advantage of the extra hours the stores were open and did our best to consume as many of the most perfect gifts as possible. Many of which were made in China.

I told my mom about our boycott, how it evolved and why we were doing this. She wasn't terribly surprised. I don't know if she would recognize me if I weren't boycotting something. She did think that it was an interesting idea, but was unconvinced that it would have much impact. She does not want to join our campaign, even though she is concerned about the exodus of jobs overseas and the amount of America foreign countries seem to own.

Some of the time we were shopping for clothes for me. My mom wanted to get me two nice outfits for Christmas. Many of the things we looked at were made in China. They would be banned next year.

I spent some time looking at the origins of random products as we were shopping and I am embarrassed to admit that I am not even certain I know where all of these countries are, despite the nearly dozen maps, globes and atlases we have in our apartment. I have vague ideas of where Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Taiwan are, but I couldn't tell you to save my life, what countries border them.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are spent in the usual exchange of gifts and I sometimes obviously, sometimes covertly tried to find out where everything was made. Almost all of the kids toys are made in China.

I told my middle sister and her husband about our boycott and they were less than impressed. Kathy seemed to think I'm a bit nuts, although she too, is familiar with my protests; but she supports the idea. Courtney doesn't think it will make one bit of difference and this was also the general opinion during Christmas dinner. Everyone wonders what the kids will get for Christmas 2007.

No one wants to join in. I will confess, I took this a bit personally and I am frustrated that everyone at the table was voicing concern over where this country is going, the decline in jobs and the quality of goods we purchase, but no one has any ideas on how to change it. They do, however, thing this boycott won't amount to much. I remind myself that it has done something already though, it has opened up discussions that we've never had before and it bonded us, if even briefly, with the same topic of conversation. That's a start.