I hate Christmas

[Storm Raven]

You just don't get it, do you?

I get it. I just reject your premise that somehow, even knowing what someone wants, you should feel free to get them something else entirely.

What was it that spoiled Christmas for you? Did you want Operation and your Grandma got you Risk? Did you want that Billy & the Boingers tape, and your Dad got you Brak's Greatest Hits?

Have you not been reading this thread?

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

Because he is a pen geek and loves expensive pens. Thus, he concludes that I should love expensive pens, and if I don't, I will once I have one (again). I don't, and almost certainly never will. He doesn't understand this. He also doesn't understand why I would ever want Firefly on DVD, so he concludes that I couldn't possibly actually want that, even though I have told him explicitly that I do.

Did you come to this conclusion on your own, or did you ask him? It obviously has had a profound affect on you, so maybe you should discuss this with him. If you have talked to him, then I take your point as written.

 

[Storm Raven]

Could you not just say lets just give cash?

My wife told everyone one year to just get me gift certificates. They didn't.

 

[marshmallow]

If you do get me something I don't like, I'm going to return it or give it away.

I'm going to tell you a secret: This is true of almost every single person (except people who put stuff in the basement for two years in case they ever end up finding a use for it). It's really not necessary to send out an email about it.

It just really puzzles me that you can't seem to grasp that someone CAN put thought into a gift that wasn't on your list. Sometimes people buy gifts thinking that because they enjoyed it, you might. I really don't see how that's selfish - they want to make you happy. They might be wrong, but it doesn't make them inconsiderate or rude.

You keep saying "the giver knew this" and "the giver knew that." Since we will never really know their side, we don't know how much of this is true and how much of it is warped by your perspective and biases. But be careful of what you think you know about what other people know, and what are your assumptions about what other people know.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

I figured it out...

I know why you keep getting the gifts you get, Storm Raven.

It goes like this...

"Every time we get him something, he acts like an ungrateful little punk. He exchanges them, he throws them away, and he acts like we owe him a living. This year, let's get him... I KNOW! Let's get him a copy of Die Hard filmed with a camcorder in Vietnam and dubbed with Cantonese!"

I'm willing to bet that's half of it.

Same reason my last gift to my oldest brother delivered a nice 0.004 amp shock through the metallic wrapping paper to him.

 

[Storm Raven]

Did you come to this conclusion on your own, or did you ask him? It obviously has had a profound affect on you, so maybe you should discuss this with him. If you have talked to him, then I take your point as written.

We have discussed this at length in other contexts. He considers it a terrible thing that I do not have an expensive pen, and that I do not want one. I told him I don't want one, and probably never will.

 

[buzzard]

OK, for all you people who think SR is satan incarnate (which seems to be plenty of you). The popular sentiment here appears to be that the spirit of the gift matters more than the gift itself or the desires of the recipient.

Is it OK if I give $20 is each of your names to the Church of Scientology because I think it will make for a better world?

buzzard

 

[d20Dwarf]

Because he is a pen geek and loves expensive pens. Thus, he concludes that I should love expensive pens, and if I don't, I will once I have one (again). I don't, and almost certainly never will. He doesn't understand this. He also doesn't understand why I would ever want Firefly on DVD, so he concludes that I couldn't possibly actually want that, even though I have told him explicitly that I do.

StormRaven,

I love pens as well. If you don't want the pen, would you please ship it to me? I'll even pay shipping.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Have you not been reading this thread?

Nope.

You didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, so why should I acknowledge what your saying?

You got some bad gifts. Grow up. Learn what the spirit of Christmas is, and since part of that is being grateful, I recommend you learn it quickly, your life will be a lot easier.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

OK, for all you people who think SR is satan incarnate (which seems to be plenty of you). The popular sentiment here appears to be that the spirit of the gift matters more than the gift itself or the desires of the recipient.

Is it OK if I give $20 is each of your names to the Church of Scientology because I think it will make for a better world?

buzzard

Go for it. When you need the mailing address for the tax receipt, just let me know.