My sister, aunt Cyndi, wanted to cease the exchanging of Christmas gifts this year between the adults, and just give to the two kids in the family. I wanted no part in that. After all, even though our income has been reduced this year by 3/4, I can still MAKE gifts. And to find the perfect Christmas gift for someone is an elation I wasn't willing to let go.
Perhaps if she had proposed this midway in December I may have been more willing to entertain the idea. After all, mid November we are still starry-eyed and naive to the fact that a) we'll actually FIND the perfect gift for each and every one on our list b) it is in our price range or something we can make, and c) we'll find the time to make it if it is the latter. But, she did not. She made the proposal in November.
OK, I'll finally admit I was short sighted. I realized that today at about 3 p.m. as I was wandering around Best Buy frantically looking for something - anything- that resembled that "perfect" gift for my parents. I was even willing to spend twice what I would have originally been willing to spend. I was desperate. It was probably the desperation on my face or the frantic look that made some poor guy in a blue "Best Buy" shirt came up to me. He naively uttered those words he probably was required to utter and learned in training "May I help you". I am sure he wasn't prepared for me to get down on my knees and grab his feet begging him to help me find a gift for $50 or less for a retired couple who live in a motorhome and can't gather a bunch of stuff and who buy whatever they need. I am also sure he wasn't prepared for the tear stained cheek as I looked up hoping for him to majically turn into a jolly old elf who would pull out the perfect gift from his knapsack. Oh, no. He wasn't prepared.
The poor boy did direct me here and there. And I finally felt sorry for him and pretended that he had solved my problem. I picked up a webcam and stammered around until he went in another direction, probably in the direction of store security. Then I put it back and snuck out of there before he could see my empty hands. I fully expect to see my picture on the wall at Best Buy with a sign that says "Do not help".
I wandered around town a while. I thought "A sweater? No, they try to travel where it is warm." "A goldfish? No, the water will slosh out while they go down the highway".
I was down to "underwear" and "belly button cleaner" before I realized the inevitable. It's gift certificates for a restaurant again this year. But worst of all I have to admit my sister is right.
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