I hate Christmas

[Storm Raven]

The mind boggles. It's a GIFT.

And if you get me something I don't actually want, it is a crappy gift.

Why we decided that you should be grateful that gave you something you didn't want, told them you didn't want, and will likely never want is the astonishing part.

if you aren't going to bother to get me something I want, don't bother to get me a gift. It's not a gift, it is a bag of crap you decided to hand to me so I would pretend you were nice.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Actually, I'd like to thank Storm Raving for starting this thread.

It has made me see how lucky I am to have a family that cares about me, even though sometimes they don't give me what I want, but rather what I need. It has made me see that they will always be there for me when I need them, even though I may not want them.

So, thank you, Storm Raven, for this thread. I did not want it, and it certainly wasn't on any list, but thank you anyway.

EK, who will be grateful for a loving family this Christmas.

Ditto.

It wasn't on my list on the fridge, I didn't want it, but I do appreciate it.

My daughter just came in the door with the world's ugliest clay ashtray to wrap up for her uncle. She made it herself in arts and crafts class.

I'll bet he'll appreciate it.

 

[Storm Raven]

Hey, Storm Raven, any gifts you don't want, donate them to the local Salvation Army in your Father's name, and give him the slip as a Christmas present.

Gifts that I do not (or cannot) return usually end up going to Goodwill. I have enough clutter in my house already without adding to the pile with stuff I didn't want to begin with.

 

[d20Dwarf]

not revenge gifts

This is important.

 

[Eternalknight]

Actually, just another thought:

I can't wait for the day the SR stuffs up and gets his son something that he doesn't really want, only to see his son dump it in the trash.

 

[marshmallow]

In these cases, I know they knew. Because I had previously told them, or it had come up in other contexts that delivered the information directly to them.

For example, the tie rack. The giver helped me fix my current wooden tie rack to my closet wall. We even talked about the price of the item when we were doing this. He couldn't have not known when he got me the chinsy plastic one.

The cost has nothing to do with it, nor does plastic vs. wooden. Maybe he thought that it was inconvenient to have the ties at the back of the closet or something, and the new one would make it easier to get at your ties. You are really ascribing the worst possible motivations to people. I prefer to assume the best about them. Maybe I'm a Pollyanna, but then again I don't hate Christmas.

For example, the sweater vest. My sister in law (who got me the gift) had remarked at one point (Thanksgiving that year I think) that her husband looked good in sweater vests and she thought I should get some. I told her that I don't like them (for me) and don't wear them.

Remember before when I said, "maybe someone thought you might look sharp in them if you gave them a try?" I bet you a dollar that's what happened here. She probably thought to herself, "if he'd only try them he'd like them" and therefore got you the gift. She was wrong, but I think her intentions were good. And who knows, maybe there was a small chance that if you'd tried it on you'd have changed your mind and now have an all-sweater vest wardrobe.

How much am I assuming here?

I think you're assuming a lot about their motivations.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

Hmm, and to think I imagine I had picked an organization which was considered loathesome enough by most to have people get my point. However were I to actually offer a thing of this sort it would be a gift which actually suits my disposition. I could shell out a few bucks to the NRA in some people's name. Heck, I'd probably even be civil enough to send it to the education branch which is tax deductable and not involved in lobbying.

In the interest of money where my mouth is, I will send $20 to the NRA education fund (Eddie Eagle and all that gun safety jazz) in the name of the first five of you naysayers to drop me an email.

Let me add one detail. I don't want a gift in return to the charity of your choice. I'll pass.

buzzard

Your examples are not bad, but there are a couple factors that you are not able to control:

1. Some of us really don't complain about gifts (I would not like the gift you gave as an example, but I would not complain about it).

2. SR has some of the posters' hackles up, so they aren't going to support his position by agreeing with your example, regardless of what they would do in real life (in fact, there may be some who would have complained before this thread, but now will not complain because of the lessons learned here).

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

And if you get me something I don't actually want, it is a crappy gift.

And here I was about to come in on your end.

Man, did you just shoot yourself in the foot.

No, it's not a crappy gift. A crappy gift is getting deployed to the Middle East. A crappy gift is being given a world cruise when you're serving 15 years in the joint. A crappy gift is a set of hair combs when your hair all fell out from chemotherapy.

It's a thoughtless gift, what you are referring to, yes.

Why we decided that you should be grateful that gave you something you didn't want, told them you didn't want, and will likely never want is the astonishing part.

It comes from earlier days, when people were happy with what was given to them. When the fact that someone had enough to spare, be it time, effort, or money, to actually buy something, was enough.

if you aren't going to bother to get me something I want, don't bother to get me a gift. It's not a gift, it is a bag of crap you decided to hand to me so I would pretend you were nice.

Hey, the Grinch called...

He finds your views intriguing and wants to subscribe to your newsletter.

He also wants to know if you will be holding any seminars he can attend.

 

[reveal]

I can't wait for the day the SR stuffs up and gets his son something that he doesn't really want, only to see his son dump it in the trash.

Cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon. Little boy blue and the man in the moon....

 

[Eternalknight]

Cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon. Little boy blue and the man in the moon....

Appropriate