Английский язык для межкультурного и профессионального общения

71A Personal Reflection on ConsumerismBy Kathy FaircioughHow important is shopping to you? How many hours of your life do you spend earning money to buy things? How much time do you spend shopping for these things? And how much time do you spend organizing these things in your home? In the future, how much time will you use up spending money -- in movie theaters, at amusement parks, at drive-thrus, at shopping malls, at conveni-ence stores, at the gas pump, or at your desk paying bills? When you add it all up, you will probably see that you spend a lot of your life consuming stuff. Consuming products is not necessarily bad. However, since we spend so much time doing it, we should look at it carefully.Imagine that you have a week off from school or work. You don't have to go to the office or go to class. However, in this week, you cannot spend any money -- no shopping, no movies, no amuse-ment park rides, no eating out. How would you spend your time? What things would bring you happiness? Perhaps you would take a walk on the beach with your best friend. Maybe you would climb a tree. You might just sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. Maybe you would play with your dog. Maybe you would draw a picture or write a story. Perhaps you would read a book, have a conversation with a stranger, or help a child read. You might sleep under the stars, daydream, or spend time with your family.On our deathbeds, it is likely that nonconsuming experiences like these will be our most important memories. Why? Nonconsu-ming activities are active, not passive. They don't come in a pack-age. You make the experience yourself. For example, each person who reads to a child will have a different experience. The experi-ence changes with the reader, the child, and the book. However, if you watch a movie with a friend, you will each have a packaged experience. It requires no action and little interaction between the two of you. When you take a walk and have a conversation with a friend, however...