" Fresh cut, perfect size, perfect form, ready for decorating. Tie it to the roof of your car, take it home, haul it inside the house then dress it up. The family will love you for it."
"How long will it last?"
"It won't matter, once the big day is done you will get rid of it"
"Are you sure it's dead?"
"Absolutely, completely 100%. It is as dead as can be."
"How much?"
"Just $39.95"
"I'll take it. "
The Great Christmas Tree Debate
Now I've done it. I'm wading into the ongoing, unsolvable Christmas tree debate. It's sort of like the grocery bag debate. Paper or plastic? Real tree, or fake? When you go to the store these days they ask if you even want to have a bag at all.Let me be clear, I want to avoid to the fullest degree this becoming a discussion of religious or cultural significance. I just want to bring up the point. It seems strange that a dead tree is worth $39.95 one day, then becomes totally worthless the next.
I don't get it.
I wonder if future generations will look back at us like we now look back at bygone things. A few come to mind:
- horse drawn carriages
- cigarette smoking newsreaders
- 8 track cassettes
- telephones with cords attached
Parents will one day be tell their children "When I was young we used to go out every year on the first day of winter and bring home a dead tree.".
The kids will say "Why Dad? That doesn't make sense. We are struggling with so few trees".
I realize that the situation is not as simple as it seems. While there are many who will point out the absurdity of sacrificing a young tree per household, per year, others will bring up the downside of producing and transporting the fake plastic non recyclable, non biodegradable variety. I'm not picking sides but I will say; my children are happy, and our cat is quite happy sleeping underneath our fake plastic dead Christmas tree.
There has to be a better way.
Why do good people do bad things to trees?
Oh, by the way, I will be donating time early January to raise funds for my daughters gymnastics club. We'll be doing a Christmas tree chipping event. Date, time and location yet to be determined. So bring your dead trees on down and for a small fee we'll chop them up into a million pieces.
Happy Holidays Everybody
Terry Thrale
Do you side on the plastic fake tree side over the farmed - cut - replaced real tree side? I'm undecided on which is actually better for the environment / economy
ReplyDeletePersonally I am for real over fake. There is more to a tree than a certain look. Real trees have a smell and feel, each is unique.
ReplyDeleteThe irony is that trees so many trees are grown and cut to satisfy a tradition. So much waste.
Honestly, I don't know the research on which is best or worst for environment and economy. All things considered I think a third option is best. We should use live trees. Plant them outside. Time to start a new tradition.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for the comment.
Terry