Like any working adult with credit cards and a viable email address, I get a lot of “junk” mail, both cyber and physical, both home and at work. In the office, I receive everything from brochures on cheesy curriculum to fliers on the worst fund-raising ideas (I could be more specific but it’s truly embarrassing.) My husband experiences the same and brought something home today that he got in his mailbox and thought would “interest” me.
The brochure this time was for a company called Asian Ideas, supposedly geared towards children’s programs and supplies for churches such as Vacation Bible School. The kicker was the advertisement on one side: “Give your church an Oriental flair!” When you open up the brochure you have “Awesome Crafts,” like festive Chinese cone hats and fans, and even cute pandas dressed in shiny kimonos.
The products remind me of the Vacation Bible school curriculum, Rickshaw Rally debacle, as well as the Skit Guys’ Skits That Teach, all of which drives me completely insane. I ask myself over and over in response to these products: ARE THEY SERIOUS? It’s bad enough having to combat fairly blatant stereotyping outside of my work, but to see this stupidity constantly bombard me even in all my mailboxes is disheartening. Just when I feel like there has been some progress, and I feel like the culture around me has somehow evolved a little more in relating and understanding people, there’s the reality in bright, full colors right in my mailbox.
And then, of course, there are the weekly mailings I get from the Oriental Trading Company; although it is incredibly amazing that I can get rubber ducks and scrap booking paper in one stop, what do I do with these catalogs? Let’s just say it’s another wonderful and easy way to “go green.” I feel bad for our custodial person because while I experience the sweet relief of an empty mailbox – both virtual and real – my recycle container is basically full at the end of each day.
