Black Friday, Charles Dickens and the Three Bucket Equation

“It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow men, and travel far and wide…” ~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Hmmm, should Black Friday be a day to indulge ourselves guilt-free or a call to rethink the three bucket equation?

I made the mistake of swinging into the mall to do my weekly grocery shopping after work on Friday. It slipped my mind that it was Black Friday even here in Canada where Thanksgiving is several weeks behind us. I had to park about a football field away from the grocery store.

As I navigated the cars trolling the parking lot for available spaces, I found myself wondering about the purchases that were being made. How much of the boatloads of money being spent was for items that were actually needed versus spree spending just because there were hot deals to be had?

For various reasons, I’ve been more conscious lately of the choices we make in using the portion of our income that is left over after the bills are paid. This assumes, of course, that we are in the fortunate percentage of the population that has a surplus.

As Dickens taught us in his classic Christmas story, we have an obligation to walk among our fellow men and share the blessings we receive. There is no shortage of ways in which to do so. The more difficult consideration is deciding: 1) How much do we put aside for a rainy day? 2) How much do we use to indulge ourselves in the things we enjoy? 3) How much is left for us to give away?

The rainy day bucket fund seems critical in this day and age. In these lean and mean times, we never know when our number may come up in the corporate shuffle. Sorry, we’re making some changes in our structure. You don’t fit into the equation anymore. Best of luck. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Please leave right now.

Living in the moment to some degree also seems a must. Uncertainty is just about the only sure thing in the turbulent world we inhabit these days We never know what tomorrow may bring except that, more often than not, it will be something we did not see coming. We need to enjoy each day as it happens and indulge ourselves a bit.

The problem in this equation is that, after our rainy day bucket allotment and our living in the moment bucket allotment, there often is not a whole lot left for walking among our fellow men with generosity in mind. It is not lack of desire or an ungenerous spirit. It is just mathematics – or so it would seem.

The only solution to the conundrum is to rewrite the base equation so that giving, in whatever manner we choose to practice it, is part of the calculation from the beginning. It is not simply: Whatever is left, at the end of the day, I’ll give. Giving has to be one of the buckets in the planning process.

Most of us are not Scrooges. Our hearts are in the right place. But we still have to heed the metaphor Dickens immortalized. We must plan to walk among our fellow men with a magnanimous spirit. Otherwise, that third bucket will always have a leak in it.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

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