Reflection: REI Reminders
As each year comes to an end, more and more print and email correspondence starts coming from businesses and nonprofits we love. It is both understandable and expected. Whether it is a nonprofit like Nuru, Team Rubicon, International Justice Mission, or Voice Of The Martyrs reminding us to think of others beyond our immediate scope, or Target, TRX, or Amazon telling us about the latest deals to consider for end of year gift giving, I was amazed at the influx of communications. There was one organization that sent me at least five giving reminders in the last two days of the year. I get it. Every day, I find myself considering the incredible blessing that has been given to those of us who live in the United States—we hit the GPS lottery! Every day, while we are being encouraged to buy more, many of our global neighbors are struggling to address basic needs.
And into that flurry of emails and my own ponderings, REI sent me two key pieces of communication. The first was a reminder to #OptOutside on #BlackFriday. REI made the decision as a company to forego one of the most profitable days to be open for any business, Black Friday. Instead, they encouraged their employees, their customers, and their cooperative members (REI is a cooperative) to spend the day outside doing the things they love with people they love. For our part, Jamie and I relaxed in Morgantown together and went for a hike through the neighborhood with Sylvia. That’s been a part of our daily routine almost every day since she arrived, and it was our routine through the days and months that we awaited her arrival. It was relaxing, refreshing, and didn’t cost us anything but an hour or two of our time. Spending our days in this way refreshes our spirits, and it was a superior alternative to getting up early and rushing around for a deal. I love the fact that REI chose to encourage people to get outdoors, and I hope that the trend catches on.
But, REI didn’t stop there. They sent a print catalog in the mail (which of course we recycled). In that print catalog they included this poem about more. Here was a company that exists by selling products, reminding its customers on the front pages of an advertisement to not get caught up in the desire for more. As a company, they were encouraging their potential customers to pause before they purchased some new item to ask the question, “Will this aid us in doing what we love?”
I’m so thankful for the fact that REI took time to remind me during a season that is filled with spending and buying things that those things are not important. As the poem states, more is a liar. Each year, Jamie and I take an inventory of items we have acquired and make a decision to release some of those items to bring joy to others. This year is no exception, and as we do, we have placed this poem on our fridge to keep us mindful of the fact that more is a liar.
May each of us take time to value others, savor moments, and #OptOutside more often in 2020!