I was trying to come up with something to write about this week. I had even written a makeshift blog entry. Then, as luck would have it, I was thinking about Christmas gifts and I figured that I would write about that instead.

Why do we give presents to a person? Well, it can be for a variety of reasons. To thank someone, to say we care, to say we’ve been thinking about someone, to show our appreciation for someone’s efforts, to show how much a person means to us. There can be ulterior motives as well, but for the sake of this blog I’m going to focus on the positive.

What makes a good present? Well, that depends on who you’re giving the present to. Something that might go over like gangbusters for Friend A would be a terrible present for Friend B. There are the classics of course: chocolates, flowers, a nice card. They might not be imaginative, but they usually convey the right message. That’s why they’re classics and easy to fall back on. It helps to know a little about the person you’re giving a present to. Does he like astronomy? A book on astronomy might make a nice gift.

Does the price matter? It shouldn’t but sometimes it does. There’s a delicate balance. You don’t want to make the other person feel cheap with an expensive present. Conversely, you don’t necessarily want to pass off as cheap either. The present should always be from the heart and always within your means. It’s all very well and good to love someone, but giving a present should never bankrupt you. If price is an issue for you, then set a dollar limit ahead of the time. Just don’t be disappointed when the presents YOU receive are within that limit too! 

The old cliché goes, “It’s the thought that counts!” No truer words have ever been said. You can give a thoughtful gift that costs a dollar, just like you could give a $1000 gift that’s just terrible. You just need to know the person a little. Listen! Did your friend tell you that she likes panda bears? Well, if you’re going to give her a plushie, a panda would be the way to go, wouldn’t it? Your friend collects Coca-Cola memorabilia? Maybe that Burping Pepsi clock isn’t quite the nifty present you think it is! (or maybe it is! Burps are funny…sometimes).

So now I’ve talked about giving presents, well what about receiving them? Everybody is different and not everybody is expressive as we might like them to be. You have to know and accept that for some people, a hearty thank you is all they’re comfortable with, as both the giver AND the receiver. It’s always okay to show your appreciation for a present in a fashion you’re comfortable with. It’s NOT okay to show it when you don’t like a gift. It’s not always easy to hide but always remember that when someone is giving you a present, they’re trying to do something nice for you that they really don’t have to.  They may have bought you a Barry Mannilow CD when you like Barry White, but that doesn’t give you the right to spit on the gesture by being rude. Smile (or don’t if you’re not a happy smiley kinda person) and say thank you. Who knows? Maybe you could learn to like BOTH Barries! 

I’m a difficult person to shop for. I know this because I’ve been told it is the case…repeatedly…and by several people who have been moved enough to buy me presents, whether it be for my birthday or Christmas. The reason? Well there are a couple:

1. “I know he likes X, but I don’t know anything about it.” It’s hard to shop for stuff you know nothing about. This is most often the case for my mom and my sister since they don’t share my nerdier interests.
2. “Is this the kind of thing he’ll like?” My interests are varied and yet I manage to be quite narrow when it comes to things I like within those interests. I like pop culture t-shirts for example, but I don’t like to have a real person’s face on a t-shirt. A Bazinga t-shirt with Sheldon’s face on it? Bad! A Good Grief t-shirt with Charlie Brown’s face on it? Good!
3. “Does he already have this?” When there’s something I like/want, I will go out and buy it. I have a job that pays well enough to allow me to do so and so I do. But that makes it difficult for others to find things that I like that I haven’t already bought for myself.
4. I have moderately expensive tastes. Video games, board games, and season box sets on DVD don’t always come cheap.

Now, I recognize the truth in these statements. It’s why every year, I dutifully make out a list of things I would enjoy receiving as Christmas gifts, trying to be as specific as possible as to the variants, as well as where the items are most likely to be found. I also maintain an amazon wishlist. And always I include things at different price points. There’s a downside to this approach: there’s very little chance that I’ll ever be surprised by the gifts I receive. But just for the record, I appreciate any and all gifts I receive. It means a lot to me that someone likes me enough to even WANT to buy me a present. So like…feel free huh?