What I want for Christmas
When I was a kid, I could come up with pages and pages of stuff that I wanted for Christmas. Granted I was helped by the Sears Wishbook, so I could write down all of the stuff that I wanted in order that my parents could order it from Sears. I doubt it happened, but don't you think it was awfully considerate of me? By the end of the Christmas season that book would be so dog-eared that it was unfit for anyone else to look at.
One year I was going to go on a trip to Hawaii after Christmas with my father. And while I was skulking around the house looking for something to do I came across my already wrapped Christmas presents. I shook them and took my guesses. But one of them I just knew was Ultima IV, a computer RPG that I had been dying to get. So I unwrapped it carefully. And looked at it. And came back and did it the next day. And the next. Until I sat down and wrote my parents a letter in which I carefully laid out all of my reasons that I should be able to open my Christmas presents before Christmas or at least this one because I already knew what it was. My parents refused my request so as to not reward my deviousness. I think that they were a little bit proud of the letter, though.
This year however, I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with things that I want for Christmas. Sure, there are things that I want. I'm a Magic player and a Dungeon Master. There are always things that I don't have that I'd like. But asking for them for Christmas feels weird. For one thing I generally would spend more on a single purchase on my own than someone would spend for me. So I look at my gift and don't feel the same rush of appreciation that I'd feel for a similar purchase in another area. The other is that no one in my family (likes/appreciates/supports/is proud of) the fact that these are my hobbies. So in some ways it is easier to ask for things outside of my hobbies.
My other two interests are books and movies. I just bought the latest of the Wheel of Time series and the Song of Fire and Ice. So I'd need to ask whoever was going to buy me books to get me started on some new series - a risky proposition. DVDs are becoming standard gift giving fare like the ubiquitous Father's Day tie. But then it becomes harder to say that thought was put into the gift.
I think what I've decided is that I want things for me, things for me to do with my wife, and things for me to do with my son. Things for me fall into the categories of books, movies, and clothes. Things for me to do with my wife might include games that the two of us can play. I'm sort of at a loss for things that I can do with my son.
Ok, so now everyone knows what to get me for Christmas. And just in time for "Black Friday". Remember when colored days were a bad thing?
One year I was going to go on a trip to Hawaii after Christmas with my father. And while I was skulking around the house looking for something to do I came across my already wrapped Christmas presents. I shook them and took my guesses. But one of them I just knew was Ultima IV, a computer RPG that I had been dying to get. So I unwrapped it carefully. And looked at it. And came back and did it the next day. And the next. Until I sat down and wrote my parents a letter in which I carefully laid out all of my reasons that I should be able to open my Christmas presents before Christmas or at least this one because I already knew what it was. My parents refused my request so as to not reward my deviousness. I think that they were a little bit proud of the letter, though.
This year however, I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with things that I want for Christmas. Sure, there are things that I want. I'm a Magic player and a Dungeon Master. There are always things that I don't have that I'd like. But asking for them for Christmas feels weird. For one thing I generally would spend more on a single purchase on my own than someone would spend for me. So I look at my gift and don't feel the same rush of appreciation that I'd feel for a similar purchase in another area. The other is that no one in my family (likes/appreciates/supports/is proud of) the fact that these are my hobbies. So in some ways it is easier to ask for things outside of my hobbies.
My other two interests are books and movies. I just bought the latest of the Wheel of Time series and the Song of Fire and Ice. So I'd need to ask whoever was going to buy me books to get me started on some new series - a risky proposition. DVDs are becoming standard gift giving fare like the ubiquitous Father's Day tie. But then it becomes harder to say that thought was put into the gift.
I think what I've decided is that I want things for me, things for me to do with my wife, and things for me to do with my son. Things for me fall into the categories of books, movies, and clothes. Things for me to do with my wife might include games that the two of us can play. I'm sort of at a loss for things that I can do with my son.
Ok, so now everyone knows what to get me for Christmas. And just in time for "Black Friday". Remember when colored days were a bad thing?
posted by mypetrock at 4:44 PM
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