I love getting presents (well, sorta). When I was a kid some of the biggest moments in my life were Christmas and birthdays. I remember Christmas in Gr 5 all the presents I got were just what I wanted. I can only remember 2 of them now: a flourescent light and an alarm clock. Umm, yeah, I was kind of a weird kid. I remember flipping through the Sears catalogue right to the toy section and I'd write down all the things I wanted my mom and dad to get me. I remember one time asking for a set of binoculars with a microphone attached so you could hear whatever you were seeing! Incredibly I got it that Christmas, but of course it didn't work at all like I thought it would, haha.
And I remember my 13th birthday I got some Petra and Steve Camp cassettes along with a tape case to hold them in! But I also got some Lego. That was a little awkward, am I a teenager now or still a kid? Very tough call, which I wasn't even ready to make.
Not Jackie.
Well I also got another present around that time. I think it was the Christmas before my 13th birthday. Some relatives sent presents for me and Jackie. Jackie got a bunch of Barbie stuff, it was perfect for her, she totally loved it! I, on the other hand, got a pop-up book explaining aviation. Now, I gotta admit I was super choked. I was so filled with anger and complete disappointment, but I bottled it up and no one could tell I don't think. So why was I so upset? I was 12 and I got a pop-up book!!! A freaking pop-up book?!?!? Not to mention on aviation????? That was so odd. And the thing that infuriated me even more was how my sister got exactly what she wanted, it was perfect for her, and here I was with the most ridiculous present in the world! So completely unfair...
We've all had our share of crappy presents. That's why we've got boxing day, right? If you don't like what you've gotten, you can just bring it back and get something good. It's even easier nowadays cause you can put a gift receipt in with the present. Simply wonderful.
So I've experienced first-hand the pain of receiving a terrible (and almost insulting) present. But I've also experienced something almost more painful. Have you ever put time and effort into getting someone a gift, only to have them reject it? The moment comes, you've wrapped the present just right, and you're sure this is the perfect gift. All eyes are on the person as they open your present and it's finally freed of its wrapping and...and.........you can see the look of disappointment in their eyes:( Usually they try to put on a good face and say, "oh thanks, i've never had one of these before..." But you know they don't like it. And sometimes they're even so bold to tell you to your face they don't like it. Oh the agony, as a kid I began to dread this experience more and more and even to this day it seriously haunts me.
I learned an important lesson when I was 11. I was given some money and time at the mall to buy presents for everyone. I saw some chocolate covered mints. I think my mom likes those. I think that would be a great present, I would love to get a whole box of chocolate covered mints. Oh my goodness, this box is only $2!!! I just bought my mom the sweetest present in the world and it only cost $2! That's incredible!!!!
Yeah, my mom didn't think so. She opened it and was not nearly as enthused as I was. She kinda just brushed it off. Boy that sucked. And that was not the first time I bought someone a present with eager anticipation that they would love it, only to see and even be told how disappointed they were.
So this is the backdrop, the beginning of my frustration with gifts. I get presents I don't want and I get upset (but do I have a right to be upset?!?) and I give presents only to be rejected (which sometimes i deserve?).
Oh gifts, what to do with you???
2 comments:
Now I'm craving those pepermint chocolates!! I would be more than happy with those as a present :)
I like peppermint chocolates too! Mmmm simply scrumptious. And I can't believe it took me a couple days to get through this post of yours. It was really long. And I see the next one is too...oh dear, don't know when I'll be able to get around to reading again, but I hope it's soon. See you around.
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