Presents, Past and Future

If you are going to give your young one that special, must-have toy from China for Christmas, be sure to give him or her a chance to play in the cardboard box it came in. Kids love large containers to hide in. One of my earliest childhood memories was on my grandparents’ farm on a cold, gray day. I was just a toddler who got inside a bushel basket and then pulled another basket upside down on top of me. Encapsulated in my own little space to keep out the wind, I peeked between the basket slats to watch one of the last steam locomotives pull its cars down the track which bisected the farm. As I grew just a bit older, my brother and I made pretend cars and houses from large cardboard boxes.

Our own children interacted well with sock puppets and hand puppets from an early age, even though the puppets tended to be rude and crude and sometimes bit. Cookie Monster taught them alphabet and phonetics when they were quite young. My daughters also loved the marionettes that my wife made to sell at Christmas craft shows. Nasty little devils, those marionettes, they would dance and sing, kick each other, karate fight and sometimes attack small children from behind. Where did those marionettes learn their bad manners!

For me, Christmas presents do not begin with trolling the malls to see what’s out there, and hoping the perfect gift will pop into sight. Instead, I take a hot cup of sweet, lemon tea into a semi- dark room with a comfortable chair to think about people and make a list. What are this person’s wants, needs, interests and hobbies? One person dislikes cold weather; I’ll buy him a good pair of warm work gloves. Another is interested in her Irish genealogy and also thinks I have a good voice; I’ll make her a homemade CD of me singing some old Celtic ballads. Another person has displayed an interest in organic gardening; I’ll buy him a good book on that topic. Books are always a good idea for special interests or hobbies.

Once I emerge from my dark room with a list of appropriate gifts, one per person, (Hey, I know it is Christmas, but let’s not go hog wild!), I proceed to purchase each gift as inexpensively as possible. I can burn the CD of Irish songs for next to nothing and I do know this is what she really wants. I’ll pick up the best pair of gloves I can find at Rural King. I’ll buy all my books at Amazon.com for a third of what they cost in a bookstore. On-line buying is preferable to mall hassle and prices. As for buying for other’s needs, if I see that someone needs clothing or a couple new tires, that is what they are going to get. There…another year’s Christmas shopping complete…finis, the end. Bring on the nog and fruitcake!