Ruralite Cafe: Published 11/29/01

By Lisa Majors-Duff - News Editor

Yes, Virginia, you should go shopping this Christmas

According to those whose job it is to watch the dollars changing hands in this country (they call themselves "industry analysts" or some such), Americans for the most part slowed their spending habits following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. I'm not sure anyone has determined exactly what we are doing with our money, though automobile makers continue to entice us to leave a hefty chunk of it in their care.

As I am not currently in the market for a new car, I headed for the department stores instead of the dealerships the day after Thanksgiving. After listening to the national media types talk about the slumping economy for several weeks, I guess I was a little surprised to see full parking lots and thousands of happy, holiday shoppers filling their arms, then their carts, with all variety of gifts.

You name it, it was leaving the shelves ­ appliances, clothes, jewelry, toys, electronics. Proof positive, I told myself, that no one ­ not the Grinch, not Scrooge, not Osama bin Laden ­ can keep a merry Christmas from coming this year.

Those who have decided to shop wholeheartedly this year were even attempting to infect their neighbor with spending fever. As the traditional holiday shopping season got under way last week, I heard one overloaded holiday shopper consulting with another, not so encumbered.

"Just doing my part to stimulate the economy," he said, reaching for his wallet. The exchange reminded me of high school peer pressure.

Recession or no recession, Americans have been given permission from the highest authority, starting with the president of the United States himself, to go shopping this holiday season. We are being instructed to go back to the malls, to our revitalized downtowns, and to the quaint shops of Dillsboro (which will feature three Luminaire Saturdays this year starting Dec. 1) and spend, spend, spend.

And while it should be music to my ears to be told to go shopping, I remained confused by this reversal of economic advice. Those same industry analysts, so-called experts in their field, for years before this one have warned us to spend carefully during the holidays, to make a budget, then a list, and stick to it when it comes to gift-giving. This plan of action, they told us over and over, was the only way to avoid credit card sticker shock in January and interest rates to choke on in February, March, April, etc.

So what to do? Stimulate the economy or save for the future? I'm doing what I always do when faced with a moral dilemma such as this. I'm going shopping, expecially since as of today there are only 25 more shopping days until Christmas.

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