Remember when you went out to look for presents for others?
Perhaps it was an upcoming birthday party or wedding.
When at all possible, I think the best gift to give is a gift card. Besides being ultra-simple to locate, it allows the person to choose exactly what he or she wants. You can pick them up at almost any market these days. I think a gift card for Lowe’s, Home Depot, or Target is great. Restaurant gift cards, or Michael’s, or Macy’s, or movie theater cards are also good.
Elephant Shopping
But what if you need to pick up gifts for a “white elephant” gift game. That’s where each person attending brings a wrapped gift. Then the numbers are written on papers that coordinate with the number of gifts. If you pick the number 6, for example, you would be the 6th person to choose any of the gifts. The rub, however, is that another person, whose turn it is to choose a gift, may choose the gift you picked – right out of your hands. Usually, the same gift can only be “stolen” three times, and thereafter, the holder is the keeper.
In the case above, where the need is to choose presents for a “white elephant” game, gift cards are not as much fun. Usually the idea is to bring gifts that are fun, and/or useful, and limited to the price the host mentions.
I went out shopping the other day for just such “white elephant” gifts. What did I choose? Gifts that I would have liked to receive. For one thing, I just may be lucky enough to hold on to one of those gifts at the “white elephant” game. For another, I surmised if I like the gift, someone else may like it, too. But, that may be a misconception because I may be unusual. Many gifts I like are not what everyone would consider appropriate for adults.
Not appropriate for adults, because the gifts I chose were things I like to play with. I can’t mention the gifts now, because my family, who are coming for the white elephant game on Sunday, might read this essay before then.
Okay, I realize that I could have tried to choose gifts that others might enjoy. Was I being selfish not to select gifts that I think others would enjoy? What gifts would those be? How do I know they would enjoy those gifts?
Isn’t it true that we sometimes enjoy something new — something that we have never tried before? Isn’t that such a wonderful feeling — to discover something new we like? I am so thankful, for example, that someone introduced me to the Sun Flour Company’s Squaw bread. What if I had not been introduced to the iMac, and its marvelous iMovie.
Why not try to introduce others to things that may be new to them. Maybe they will enjoy sitting on the floor and playing with my unnamed gift. Even if they wind up “stuck” with one of my gifts, and do not care for it, they can always give the gift to a child in their life – with interests somewhat like mine.
Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com
