I miss the fun in being a kid and waiting up for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Delicious melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies with a side of ice-cold milk; I envied that jolly, old fat man. But waking up on Christmas morning was well-worth the jealousy. Toys, candy, clothes, books, money, and sooner or later it became money, electronics, video games, and PC peripherals (my mom is very wise). Now at the ripe old age of 22, I get a hug and a kiss and maybe my own serving of cookies and milk. Then, I have to turn around the favor and give presents to all the little kiddies in the family. Since when does growing up mean, slap on a beard, sings me carols and call me Kris Kringle?

I am a pretty simple person. I just require lots of electronics to keep me entertained. However, if need be, I could survive on Ramen, sleeping bags, board games and a small space heater. But every now and then I get a kick of materialism. I think most of us have this issue? At least the brave ones out there can admit that they feel the little monster inside them wanting to burst out and buy everything they want. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if I won the lottery I would give a good chunk to various charities, but some of that money will be wasted away on cool new gadgets and fancy things. As much as I want to be a shining example, I’m no Mother Theresa. Okay, now that I have justified my position, I am going to be a kid again while it’s still safe: