Location Taken: Frankfort, Michigan
Time Taken: December 2007
Another Christmas has come and gone.
I got one and a half presents!
Yes, that’s total. The “one” is a food processor that I picked out myself and handed to my Mom saying “You want a present for me? Here, buy this.”
The half was a pair of socks that was an impromptu gift swap after the presents were opened. Mom bought alpaca wool socks for her parents and herself, but had forgotten that Grandpa doesn’t wear socks that go above his ankles. So those were handed back to Mom, who was still quite happy with them (they’re good socks, and fit her). So she had two pairs until I made interested noises in the pair she’d bought herself (she was getting unsure about having two pairs of socks that were identical except for size, one pair being XL and the other L), which is when she gave those to me.
I haven’t broken out the food processor yet, but I’m wearing the socks.
At least this year I didn’t have to wrap my own present. Unlike the last two, both of which I also picked out my present for that year on my own as well.
I’m actually not bummed at all. Neither from the small quantity of presents nor the cheap cost (the food processor was $25, and the socks were probably $10-$15). I’ve mostly stopped caring about such things. If I want to buy a present for someone else, I buy it on the spot and give it to them the next time I see them. I don’t wait for birthdays or Christmas or anything, nor do I expect them to give me anything at those times either. Not that I buy too many gifts, mind you. I’m firmly in the belief that if it’s not something you’re going to actually like and use, it’s not a good choice as a present. It would just get tossed out, returned, or just sit around collecting dust and cluttering spaces.
Might just be because I’ve gotten very few presents over the years, and even with the small number, far too many of them were of the type I didn’t use. Or, in some cases, something I’m actively allergic to. Seriously, don’t buy shampoo or perfume for someone you don’t really know, even if it’s in a pretty gift set. They might be like me and get a headache from just being in the same room as the present…
