Thoughts From Ebeneezer

I remember as a little kid getting pre-filled Easter baskets that were like that -- all plastic grass, with a couple of chocolate eggs taped together on top.

As an adult (grown up? tall person?), I just refuse to buy such things for others.

 

Chronologically Gifted, Experience Enhanced, Wisdom Oriented, Older than Dirt. Just pick one!

I am trying for second childhood.

 

You know, if she'd actually given you a basket of tangerines from her property, that would have been a lovely gift. Don't be too bah, humbug, though.

That said...

I'm probably making too much of it, but lots of us in the U.S. are still about plenty. Cars with practically unlimited power (even though we rarely use it and it's resulting in some questionable foreign policy to support the energy required). Inexpensive food (which we eat too much of), lots of space between our (energy inefficient) single family houses in suburban neighborhoods (with no public transportation, so we drive too much), you know, like that.

But what's happening is, the world is changing around us. Plenty costs a lot more than it used to, and in lots of ways symbolizes something very different than it did 50 years ago.

And so, those gift baskets. Designed to look like plenty but not fooling anyone; symbolic, really, since we all know that as soon as it's opened by the recipient, (s)he'll discover the truth. Kind of an odd metaphor, now that I think about it.

Back to cars: reminds me of a Kia Soul I drove recently. The throttle response was incredibly nonlinear. I'd touch the pedal with my big toe and the car would leap forward—gosh, this thing is powerful!—then I'd continue pressing and discover there's not much more power. Another illusion of plenty, when we all know better.

 

I'd think it was a wonderful, personal gift. Count it in the same way as someone making their own Christmas cards.

Another way of looking at it could be that times are hard for that family (maybe despite appearances) and a little ingenuity was the only gift they could offer?

You could always tell them how unhappy their gift made you feel and then happily receive absolutely nothing from them next year.

Some months ago I complimented you on a post, but this time you're in serious risk of a visit by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future!

Bah humbug

 

I have commented before that there is an entire industry that consists of nothing but manufacturing and selling stuff that nobody would ever buy for themselves, and nobody wants. There are whole stores filled with this stuff. It's the "gift" industry. And its based on the so-called "Christmas" celebration, where we are brainwashed into the belief that we are obligated to give gifts to certain people. So we spend money (often money we don't have, going into debt) to buy things as gifts that the recipients do not even want. And in case we are tempted to rebel, we are told "It's not the gift, it's the thought that counts," which is bullshit.

Fortunately, there's a way out that is at least moderately socially acceptable: Gift donations. You send your entire gift budget to your favorite charity, and they send a card to everyone on your list saying "A donation was made in your name." I began doing this about three decades ago, and never went gift shopping again. I made my gift list carefully, then sent the whole list and one big check to the charity I had chosen. Of my whole family, only my sister got mad. (She thought that Oxfam America, my charity for that year, was too leftist.) All the rest thought it was a great idea, and to my delight, replied in kind from then on.

Some folks say you cannot do this for children because they would not understand. If that's the case, it's a teaching opportunity.

It's the difference between CHRISTmas and GREEDmas. Of course, if you cannot afford to make donations, small personally crafted articles are always acceptable.

 

What would you think I'd think that I'm probably difficult to buy for and or the giver is a busy person. I've been on both sides of this equation, though I do try to avoid those gift baskets, actually don't remember buying one- yet.