MacMansions and Toys

For many middle class Canadians, the manner to display suburban success or foolish excess has simply been by using credit - essentially, having the very best the bank's money can buy. The day has finally come when the fashionable visage has shattered, replaced with informed transparency.

Many middle class Canadians have shrouded themselves in a deceptively contrived, materialistic mask of wealth for years. The rest of us are not fooled anymore by the trophy homes and shiny possessions in many Canadian driveways.

Creditor owned, egotistical and frivolous purchases that are bought solely for the perceived status they bring. The more truly affluent own their status symbols while others are falsely displaying possessions that are reaped through credit and are examples of egotistical foolishness. A financially fabricated status that is obvious to most of us with a job and credit availability. Some have chosen to grossly over extend their credit, while others have chosen to live comfortably within it.

As we begin to do inventory of our personal finances and reduce our personal debts, perhaps we should spend more effort arresting our indulgences of pleasure, such as toys, trips, new cars, and boats and refocus on improving our quality of life with emotional essentials, such as family time, date nights, and friends and community activities. All of these examples are more affordable, have greater emotional dividends, and will make your life feel far richer than all the latest, greatest toys in town.

When will self-absorbed suburbanites realize there is a world bigger than the singular person who thinks they, their toys, and their MacMansion are at the center of it?

Media and prestige marketing have made normal homes insufficient - no longer the family’s castle, but a mere starter home on their way to the gated manor with the imported marble entry and a pool.

The “Estates” with pretentious names and cookie cutter homes are pompous, haughty, and elitist attempts to display credited wealth, yet in reality are high priced middle class mediocracy. If one’s ego is writing the cheques, as opposed to reasonable financial planning, it’s no wonder some families are in budgetary chaos. This lack of foresight is just a complete disregard for principled and personal value-based choices, which will affect our children for decades to come.

Middle class attempts to match a media portrayed, rich lifestyle are demeaning and damaging to the average family's esteem. The need to match and out do the neighbours costs parents thousands of hours a year in work time, time not spent with their children. Children inadvertently learn that materialism, the need to have the latest and greatest, is the way of the world. Parents set an example with purchases for every adult whim and want, every chic and trendy amenity, and then wonder why children are practicing early self-absorbed tendencies with phones and social networking.

I submit that today’s generation of parents will be remembered not for our many advances and technological achievements, but for our personal and generational narcissism, quite simply, our selfish disregard for the tomorrows of our children because we couldn’t control our own narcissistic impulses today!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.