There are special days sprinkled throughout the year, which as far as I can see are designed mainly to facilitate retail sales numbers. There's Valentine's Day, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, Christmas and Hanukkah, and probably plenty of others. Whenever one's coming up shop window designers and magazine writers start coming up with gift ideas to help the unimaginative consumer. The roar grows so loud that in many cases it overshadows the holiday itself, and by the time the special day comes we're all just glad that the advertising will shut off.
I have never been a fan of marketing blitzes. It must be the rebellious nature of my spirit. And from very early in life my solution for avoiding the irritant of marketing was just to ignore the holidays. And people's birthdays. And the whole unnatural gift-giving mess. I didn't give gifts when I was supposed to. I specifically requested that those close to me refrain from giving gifts to me.
This was not a popular stance. My friends and family didn't take to the idea. For a number of women during my romantically prolific early 20s my refusal to pay attention on Valentine's Day was unacceptable. And after trying to defend my position on rational or moral or financial or revolutionary grounds, I finally gave in and began to celebrate the holidays along with the masses.
There were two problems. Where birthdays were concerned, I couldn't remember the dates. I still can't remember my own siblings' birthdays. It's just a kink in my mental nature. And second, although I understand that marketers are just trying to be helpful with their suggestions, I cannot stand being told what to buy. I walk into a mall, get inundated with messaging, and walk out again in a huff.
I have this innate preference, too, for gifts that means something. To me a shirt isn't a gift that means something. It's just a shirt, and worse, when someone gives me one odds are they spent the equivalent of one hour's salary on it. That makes me think of that person slaving away for an hour for some obnoxious boss just to pay for a stupid shirt that I may or may not like; and I feel terrible about it. I much prefer gifts that people make themselves; and I prefer to give fits that I've made myself.
The truth is, though, I am in a decided minority in that position. Most people like to receive nice things as gifts - and specifically nice things that come from stores. Things that they would have bought themselves if they'd seen them or been able to afford them. My homemade gifts weren't very much more popular than my anti-holiday position had been, especially among the women.
Finally I came to a compromise, and although few people will agree with my refusal to celebrate holidays or my determination to give homemade gifts, this idea can benefit anybody. Now I keep a gift journal, in which I take notes on what people notice, what people like, what seems to turn people on. When it comes time to buy a gift for a birthday or some other special holiday I usually know exactly what to get because I've been keeping such careful notes.
There are all kinds of items that can be given as gifts, but I feel that the best gift ideas are the ones that derive from intimate knowledge of the person who will receive them. That makes the gift mean something, even if it did come from a store. They do say, after all, that it's the thought that counts.
This news article is brought to you by DOGS - where latest news are our top priority.
No comments:
Post a Comment