You know that uncomfortable sagging feeling you get when you leave for school camp knowing you’ve left something behind – you just don’t know what? It’s horrible the way the hunch sits in your gut like too much cake until, as you open your bag at the other end, the realisation hits: it was the swimming costume! Or your toothbrush. Or, worst of all, the iPod.

I’ve been getting that feeling myself lately, only it hasn’t been about a holiday. My nagging discomfort has been about Christmas.

I’m not troubled by that feeling of “didn’t we just do this?”. I’m used to that, though I admit it feels weird when even teenagers like yourselves comment that Christmas decorations are appearing earlier and earlier. Nor am I worried about making an empty commitment to get the cards done early this time. You’ve heard all that before. I know you won’t be at all surprised when we’re posting them just before New Year.

No, this year’s nagging feeling has been different. I just couldn’t pin it down … until this morning, when I saw a thought-provoking little video called ‘The Story of Stuff‘. Like that empty corner of the backpack where the undies were supposed to be, this video crystallized my discomfort in its opening few minutes.

I’m not sure if you’ve seen ‘The Story of Stuff’ on YouTube between watching ‘Charlie Bit Me‘ and ‘Lilly: The World Map Master‘, but if you haven’t, you should. (Just in case, I’ve embedded it below – not bad for a dad, heh?). The creator, Annie Leonard will take you on a Cook’s Tour – that’s a quick tour – of the chain of events that provides us with, and disposes of, all our stuff.

In case 20 minutes is, like, waaaay too long to spend watching just one video, here’s the main point Annie is making: Those of us lucky enough to live in western countries consume mountains of cheap stuff. As we eat and watch and listen to and play with all this stuff, we don’t think about the resources that were used to make and move it. Nor do we think about the really bad conditions the people who made the stuff – some a lot younger than you – might have worked in. (These people don’t have their own rooms, and some don’t even have iPods.)

We don’t think about whether we really needed the stuff in the first place or how much of what we  bought last year is now just clogging up our cupboards. We don’t think about whether all this stuff makes us happy, or whether happiness really comes from having good friends and a loving family. And we don’t bother ourselves with what happens to all the stuff after it magically disappears from the footpath after we put out the rubbish.

The film isn’t perfect: as you watch it you should use some of that critical thinking they’ve taught you at school. Annie does over-exaggerate some points and skim over others without much evidence. But it isn’t dangerous propoganda either, as some of the angry nutters commenting on Annie’s blog allege.

What does it mean for Christmas? Well, there’s nothing to worry about, for a start. It’s not like we’re going to skip Christmas and give all our money to charity. We might just be a little bit more thoughtful, that’s all.

We might do more Kris Kringle – I think some people call it Secret Santa – and exchange less, but better, presents. (I’ve set up an account on Elfster so we can do this on the internet, which I think is pretty cool.) We might make and share more homemade gifts. We might think more about what we buy, and how much. About where it came from, and where it’s going. About the difference between ‘need’ and ‘want’. And about how lucky we are to be living where we do, when we do.

If we do all that, you’ll be able to rest easy that your old man doesn’t have that empty ‘forgotten something’ feeling any more. And I’m sure that will make you happy.

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Tagged as: christmas, consumption, global financial crisis, story of stuff, stuff, supply chain