Still Waiting for that One Gift
Published: 12/01/2011 at Richard Gonzalez
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Gone are the turkey comma symptoms that infiltrate my body every year. L-tryptophan is something that ever since I was a young man, never developed an immune for, but, I welcome it and if for no other reason, it does allow me one good night sleep out of the year.
But this is about what comes after the turkey and its sides. Aside from the cranberry sauce and the stuffing and after making room for the pumpkin and apple pie, you cozy up on the sofa for a few snaps of a football game before the eyelids become to unbearable to keep open. And then it happens, you awake to a long list of 'Black Friday' deals.
It's almost Christmas time. A time to open gifts and wonder what the hell people were thinking when they plopped it down on the sales counter and purchased it. A few gifts from my youth are still in the box -- just a hint that these gifts were so horrible that I couldn't even re-gift it -- and one that I continuously pack with me when I move -- which has happened four times in my life already. It could be because of sentimental value, but I'm firmly convinced it's to remind me that no matter how much you like someone, if there is ever a single doubt as to whether or not to purchase a certain gift, your best to lean to the side of caution.
I know, there are some folks out there, my wife's family is the perfect example, that believe still in making a Christmas list. Perfect way to eliminate the worries of opening something and giving the fake smile when you try and figure out what it is that you just got. Problem with this is two fold - 1) it takes some time to actually sit down and write out the things that you want and 2) when you get said list, you have to actually follow it almost to a 'T'.
I, as a child, used to be adamant about writing a list, until I realized the uncomfortable truth which is no one really cares what you want, and beggars really shouldn't be choosers. Case in point: I was 12 years old and my parents asked me what I wanted for Christmas. My sister and I were asked to write a list of what we would like and to hand it to my parents so they could pass it along to Santa Clause (I realize that I am 12 and if you were to ask me back then, I'm almost positive that I would say that I do believe in St. Nick -- which looking at me now, explains a lot).
So, I sat at my desk and begin to compose my list. I'm not exactly sure what else was on my list, but I desperately wanted a sit 'n' spin. For those that may have not been around when these things were popular, a sit 'n' spin was flat disc in which you sat on and had a handle that you would wrap your legs around and proceed to turn the wheel and spin yourself. It was kind of like a miniature tea-cup ride. Well, I didn't get it, which may have been a good thing as it turned out late in life that I would get sick on those damn tea-cups.
But I digress...
I took the time to write out my number one gift along with a few others that obviously weren't as important and I got a total of zero things on that list. Why? Resort back to what I've learned about writing lists. My parents, as wise as they are, decided to teach me a lesson that life isn't always that easy...and that I should enjoy the 12 pairs of socks that I got from my auntie. Turns out that auntie knew best that year, as that was the year in which we set all kinds of low temperatures.
A few years ago, my wife sought to make those days of my younger years better as she bought me that sit 'n' spin...which still sits in my closet in its original box.
Have a happy holiday everyone!
