By Kenneth Kowald
William Wordsworth, a great English poet, wrote some 175 years ago that getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.
He was not referring, necessarily, to this time of year, but as our season of thanks and giving has evolved, it seems, to be a time when we waste our powers on getting and spending.
The Pilgrims gave thanks because they made it through the first year here. No big feast, because there was not that much about, but enough.
They had escaped religious persecution, but they were quick enough to harass those they believed to be heretics or schismatics.
Not many years after that first Thanksgiving, their ilk murdered a king and set in motion more than a decade of rigorous official acceptance of their creed.
Yes, thanks for the food, but not for the evil ones who do not follow our teachings, was part of their creed. The more things change …
But Thanksgiving and this whole holiday season (whether you profess a faith or not) has turned into a spending spree. Great for the economy, but the reasons for thanks are pushed — very quickly after the Thanksgiving meal — to the background as the retailers swing open their doors and the crowds rush in, ignoring all others, for the bargains.
We spend money on gifts for those we love, family and friends. We get gifts from those we love, family and friends.
And in this haze of getting and spending, we lose sight perhaps of many things: That it is better to give than to receive. That we should help the poor and needy.
There are people, here in Queens, who need our help. You can find out about them, all too often, in the TimesLedger Newspapers and website.
A thought: Suppose when we spend on holiday gifts, we put aside perhaps 1 percent of each purchase and donate it to a charity or non-profit of our choice? You could make that more, if you wish.
It would help those groups who are doing a job that keeps our good lives going and helps those in need. And, there are many of them right here in our own backyard.
In the richest country in the world — perhaps in history — too many Americans are ill-housed, ill-clothed, ill-nourished. Too many are without adequate medical care. Too many need help.
It is estimated that about 20 percent of New Yorkers live below the poverty line.
In late October, Nielson surveys indicated that more than 20 percent of American households had begun Christmas shopping.
Can’t we do better? Please think about that during the next few weeks.
And think, too, about the 1 percent (or more) idea.
We can get and spend, but we need not lay waste our powers.
There is still compassion and empathy, I would hope, for others during this holiday season.
You need not agree with his religious doctrines, but you might agree with what the Anglican Clergyman John Wesley wrote about 225 years ago: “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”
Happy Holidays to all!
