A commodity, "a product of human work produced for the purpose of trade." (www.wikipedia.com) This doesn't really fill the category of a gift does it? A gift is a compassionate expression of feelings for the heart, from the heart. In my lifetime I have been apart of many gift economies. A gift economy can range from a variety of different relationships. A gift economy can be a friendship, a gift economy can be a charity or a soup kitchen. A gift economy can be a church organization affiliated with helping others. A gift economy has a large variety of possibilities. My most recent gift economy has been being on the basketball team. Now I know that some people may be thinking how is a basketball team a gift economy? Well on my team here at the University at Buffalo, we give to the communities and to the students of this university. We've done numerous amounts of community service and have had student affairs. Two examples of community sharing that we've been apart of and stick out in my mind is, one, in the summer as students were coming back to school. My teammates and I stood outside in the hot weather in front of the dorms with open arms offering help to anyone who had an over whelming amount of luggage.
We carried luggage big and small, short and tall for hours. We did this not because we wanted tips at the end of the day, not saying that wouldn't have been nice:-), or because we wanted recognition, but we did it from the sincerity of our hearts that we wanted to help others. We didn't need anything in return. Another example is when we sign autographs for people. Signing autographs is the best feeling in the world to me. When my team and I sign autographs, you can just see the joy that it brings to the peoples face whom we are signing for.
One person might say, "Can I have one for my son and daughter, they love you kid." To hear those words uttered by a proud parent or to look at the smile of a kid who is inspired by you and thinks that you are the best player in the world is priceless. Nothing can replace the gift that we give to those people. NOTHING.
Peter Kollock refers to a gift as "unique."(Peter Kollock, 1999) The Encyclopedia describes the word unique as unlike anything else. It is to be particularly remarkable, special, or unusual..."(www.encyclopedia.com) In the article, "The Gift Economy," it states that the sign of excellence in a new world of the larger self is not vast profit or possessions, but sufficient material successes to allow large and thoughtful contributions to society. (Clifford Pinchot, 1995) I think that this statement is unbelievably true. People tend to use their status and their contributions to society to just boast in them and receive glory for their accomplishments. And non of those things really matter. What matters is being able to make a difference. People should use their popularity and their respect to help get others in need of help what they really need. People with a highly praised status in society should be working towards using that status to make a contribution to society.
I KNOW THAT I AM!
1.) Kullock, P., (1999). The Economies of Online Cooperation: Gifts and Public Goods in Cyberspace. University of California, Los Angeles.
Retrieved February 9, 2007 from www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kullock/papers/economies.htm
2.) Pinchot, G., (1995). The Gift of Economy.
Retrieved February 9, 2007 from www.context.org/ICLIB/Ic41/PinchotG.htm
3.) Commodity. (2007, February 8). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Retrieved February 9, 2007 from www.wikipedia.com
4.) Unique. (2006). Unique, Highbeam Encyclopedia.
Retrieved February 9, 2007 from www.encyclopedia.com
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