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The Holidays
San Francisco has only one "real" shopping mall.
There is a second mall down town, but it's a
vertical mall built into the first 3 or 4 floors of
Nordstrom's department store around a central core.
Not actually a "mall" mall as we think of them
spread all over America every few feet. It doesn't
even have a 40 screen theater. The real mall
doesn't have a theater either, but there is one in
the rear just across the parking lot. It only has
two screens and is in danger of being swallowed up
by one of several groups of developers foaming at
the mouth to build a new mall there. San
Francisco's anti-mall majority has been giving them
a very hard time, even though everyone knows that
more is better in America and more stores naturally
means America, and in particular San Francisco,
will be a better place to live.
Well anyway, we went to the movies last night in
the not over crowed but nonetheless comfortable
soon to be torn down two screener. We got there
early for the 7:45 show and had some extra time so
we decided to walk across the parking lot and
window shop in Macy's. It was Friday night, two
months after 911 and two weeks before Thanksgiving.
As we entered the door we were hit by a most
amazing display of Christmas dolls and decorations
... everywhere. The store was like an oasis of
light and reflective materials that jumped all over
one's senses. Santa was everywhere, colorful bow's
and striped candy canes and all the "stuff" we
associate with Christmas, except of course,
religion. We wandered through the home appliance
department. Did you know that there are 407
different kinds of coffee makers? And the selection
of toaster, pasta machines, pepper grinders,
decorative fountains and popcorn makers is
limitless. There are 617 different kinds of luggage
and there just wasn't enough time to count the
different kinds of pot's and pans and kitchen
helpers.
Then, when I noticed a clerk nearly asleep at
his cash register, we suddenly realized that we
were the only people within sight. 27 billion
dollars worth of glorious inventory, just for us!
What a ego trip! It was at that moment that it hit
me. In the light of the events of the past two
months I have to wonder if America hasn't changed
in ways not yet really visible. One has to wonder
why do we need all this stuff? San Francisco only
has two malls but every other town with a
population of over 50,000 has several plus a
Walmart or two, several Targets, Kmart's Home
Depot's and Costco's... we have one of each but no
Walmart. (This is not to say that we don't have
multiple choices just beyond the city limits,
however.) The point is, perhaps we have been given
the opportunity to see our American life from
another perspective, that of the enemy. They have
shown us the power of another point of view.
In coaching, viewing a problem from a different
perspective is a very powerful tool. I left Macy's
last night with what I think is the formation of a
new perspective. I have to wonder why we "need" the
unlimited options that are forced upon us at every
turn. Does the fact that our constitution enables
us have the choice of 53 different tea pots in 100
feet of floor space make it necessary to have them?
How many Macy's stores do you think there are? 500?
1,000? I travel a lot and everywhere I go I see all
the same stores. America has one retail face and it
never changes. If you multiply all these stores by
the numbers of things and the value they represent
in dollars I doubt there are enough zero's to do it
justice.
Then, we see the Afghan refugee's and all the
other poor people in the world who would give their
lives for a loaf of bread. The distance between the
have's and the have not's is ever increasing.
Perhaps one of the benefits of the times we live in
is that we are being given an opportunity to change
our perspective on who and what America is and
should be.
It is true, of course, that we are in a time of
fanaticism and fanatics of any kind are deeply
worrisome. But is there such a thing as consumer
fanaticism? And is it possible that it is just as
cancerous and destructive as religious or political
fanaticism? And is America guilty of that? And is
it any worse or better than what we see going on in
the world around us?
This Christmas season President Bush and the
retail world which so governs our daily life wants
us to shop early and buy everything we can. Go
forth and spend...but consider what another
perspective might offer you.
© 2007, Kenneth F.
Byers
Other Transition Issues,
Books
* * *
A permanent state of transition is man's most
noble condition. - Juan Ramon Jimenez
Ken Byers
holds a Ph.D. in psychology with an emphasis in
Men's Studies, one of the few ever awarded in the
U.S. Ken is a full time Certified Professional Life
Coach specializing in working with men in any form
of transition and an instructor of design at San
Francisco State University.
His books, "Man
In Transition" and
"Who
Was That Masked man
Anyway" are widely
acknowledged as primers for men seeking deeper
knowledge of creating awareness and understanding
of the masculine way. More information on Ken, his
work and/or subscription information to the weekly
"Spirit Coach" newsletter which deals with elements
of the human spirit in short commentary, check the
box at www.etropolis.com/coachken/
or www.etropolis.com/coachken/what.htm
or www.etropolis.com/coachken/speak.htm
or E-Mail
You are welcome to share any of Ken's columns with
anyone without fee from or to him but please credit
to the author. Ken can be reached at:
415.239.6929.
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