Well, Christmas is over, and as I look over my bounty, I do have to admit that I did pretty well this year. I-pod nanos, gameboy micros, beautiful jewelry, countless sweaters, awesome food and time spent with family made for a wonderful holiday. I would usually be spending at least part of the day after Christmas in the mall returning things, but I got lucky this year and I don't really have anything to return. Despite my good fortune, as I sat in the car on the 2 1/2 hour return trip to Detroit from Muskegon I got to thinking about Christmas gifts past and present, and my mind kept returning to bad gifts from years past. This led to a pretty interesting conversation with my family, and a few stories that I feel compelled to share with others. Enjoy!
Worst Gift I've Ever received: A tape of Journey's Greatest Hits
Gift Giver: Bill, my 11th grade boyfriend.
I believe it was a Valentine's Day gift and not a Christmas gift, but it still makes the list. This gift wouldn't have been so awful if there would have been some discernible reason for it. I wasn't a big Journey fan, I don't think he was a big Journey fan, it wasn't an inside joke, and tapes were so passe. Needless to say, we didn't date long.
Worst Gift I've Ever Given: CD of Cat Stevens' Greatest Hits
Gift Recipient: My dad
I gave this gift to my dad for Christmas when I was about 19. Now, both me and my dad enjoy the music of Cat Stevens, so this gift would seem like a good one. However, my dad had already owned this particular CD and I liked it, so I borrowed it. He kept asking for it back, but I didn't particularly want to give it up. So, instead of buying myself a copy, I decided it would be funny to buy him a new copy, wrap it, and give it to him for Christmas. The worst part is, I think it was the only gift I gave him that year. I'm so sorry dad, I really have no idea what I was thinking.
Worst Case of Re-Gifting: Votive Candle Holders
Gift Giver: A nameless friend. We'll call her....Cathy
This one was a wedding gift. Now, I don't really have a problem with re-gifting, but this was one of the worst cases I've ever experienced. I received a box of three votive candle holders from a friend, which were nice enough, although Cathy apparently didn't cover the tracks of her re-gifting very well. Inside the box lay a gift receipt reading: "To: Cathy. From: Genevieve." Now, seeing as my name is Maggie, and not Cathy or Genevieve, it became pretty obvious that I was not the original intended recipient of these particular votive candle holders. They did spend some time in my guest bedroom, though.
Worst Build up to a Really Good Gift: Matt's first guitar
Gift Giver: My parents
When my brother was 12, all he really wanted for Christmas was an electric guitar. My parents, being the generous people they are, bought a beautiful, cherry red, Gibson Epiphone S-G for him. Now, my brother and I had the unfortunate habit of counting gifts that were under the tree to make sure things were even. My parents knew this and, seeing as it would be the only gift Matt would be receiving that year, my mom decided it would be funny to wrap up a bunch of "ringers" to put under the tree for Matt to open before he got the real gift. I think it was somewhere around the 10th or 11th box of single-pairs of white socks that Matt began to cry. They finally took pity on him, and pulled the guitar out from its hiding spot behind the piano. Think BB gun from A Christmas Story. Good times.
Worst Gift Given For Selfish Reasons: Exercise bike
Gift Giver: My dad
Gift Recipient: My mom
The detail of this story are fuzzier, seeing as it happened sometime in the mid-70s. Apparently, my dad really wanted an exercise bike for Christmas and wanted to make sure he would get one. So he bought one. For my mom. Who has never exercised a day in her life. Needless to say, she wasn't amused.
Well, my gameboy mini (thanks, Matt) is calling, so I'll end my journey down memory lane here. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that your returns are few!
Worst Gift I've Ever received: A tape of Journey's Greatest Hits
Gift Giver: Bill, my 11th grade boyfriend.
I believe it was a Valentine's Day gift and not a Christmas gift, but it still makes the list. This gift wouldn't have been so awful if there would have been some discernible reason for it. I wasn't a big Journey fan, I don't think he was a big Journey fan, it wasn't an inside joke, and tapes were so passe. Needless to say, we didn't date long.
Worst Gift I've Ever Given: CD of Cat Stevens' Greatest Hits
Gift Recipient: My dad
I gave this gift to my dad for Christmas when I was about 19. Now, both me and my dad enjoy the music of Cat Stevens, so this gift would seem like a good one. However, my dad had already owned this particular CD and I liked it, so I borrowed it. He kept asking for it back, but I didn't particularly want to give it up. So, instead of buying myself a copy, I decided it would be funny to buy him a new copy, wrap it, and give it to him for Christmas. The worst part is, I think it was the only gift I gave him that year. I'm so sorry dad, I really have no idea what I was thinking.
Worst Case of Re-Gifting: Votive Candle Holders
Gift Giver: A nameless friend. We'll call her....Cathy
This one was a wedding gift. Now, I don't really have a problem with re-gifting, but this was one of the worst cases I've ever experienced. I received a box of three votive candle holders from a friend, which were nice enough, although Cathy apparently didn't cover the tracks of her re-gifting very well. Inside the box lay a gift receipt reading: "To: Cathy. From: Genevieve." Now, seeing as my name is Maggie, and not Cathy or Genevieve, it became pretty obvious that I was not the original intended recipient of these particular votive candle holders. They did spend some time in my guest bedroom, though.
Worst Build up to a Really Good Gift: Matt's first guitar
Gift Giver: My parents
When my brother was 12, all he really wanted for Christmas was an electric guitar. My parents, being the generous people they are, bought a beautiful, cherry red, Gibson Epiphone S-G for him. Now, my brother and I had the unfortunate habit of counting gifts that were under the tree to make sure things were even. My parents knew this and, seeing as it would be the only gift Matt would be receiving that year, my mom decided it would be funny to wrap up a bunch of "ringers" to put under the tree for Matt to open before he got the real gift. I think it was somewhere around the 10th or 11th box of single-pairs of white socks that Matt began to cry. They finally took pity on him, and pulled the guitar out from its hiding spot behind the piano. Think BB gun from A Christmas Story. Good times.
Worst Gift Given For Selfish Reasons: Exercise bike
Gift Giver: My dad
Gift Recipient: My mom
The detail of this story are fuzzier, seeing as it happened sometime in the mid-70s. Apparently, my dad really wanted an exercise bike for Christmas and wanted to make sure he would get one. So he bought one. For my mom. Who has never exercised a day in her life. Needless to say, she wasn't amused.
Well, my gameboy mini (thanks, Matt) is calling, so I'll end my journey down memory lane here. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that your returns are few!
1 Comments:
One of your worst gifts... Journey's Greatest Hits. One of my best gifts given... Journey's Greatest Hits. I know you hated your Valentine's gift from your ex on tape, so I got it for you on CD. I one-upped him. I win! The "wheel in the sky keeps on turning!"
-Nathan.
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