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I have no idea what I want for Christmas. This is a problem of mine. Every year when December rolls around I come up against this wall. I have no idea what I would like for Christmas. No idea whatsoever. While it sucks for me, it is really bad for Wifey and her mom as they attempt to find gifts for me. They constantly ask me what I want, and I constantly have no idea.
I think my lack of gift ideas for myself stems back to my childhood. My parents abstained from comforts and didn’t spend much money on anything whilst I was growing up – and they passed this tendency toward self-deprivation onto their children. Well, not both of their children. My brother has been known to buy a $400 sweater, but I balk at spending more than $50 for one.
Both of my parents came from households where, while they were not poor, money was pretty tight, and so they have never allowed themselves to have anything nice. For example, the sofa that they have is one that they got as a wedding gift 41 years ago. That’s right, they haven’t replaced their couch in 41 years. “They just don’t make them like they used to,” says my miserly father. No, Dad, they don’t, no one uses stone and un-tanned animal skins now. They were incensed when they had to replace their 18 year old microwave oven. It was the size of a steamer trunk, and took forever to “cook” anything. It was the premier technology of 1981, though. And when their refrigerator finally gave up the ghost it had been in the house since before they signed the mortgage 28 years earlier.
All that is pretty sad, actually, but let’s get back to me.
I was never taught to think about getting stuff. I wear the hell out of clothes. I am still using a cell phone from 4 years ago. I have been trained not to think of new things for myself. In fact, I remember one time …
Fade out SRH at his work desk…
Fade in...*
…Young SRH is sitting at the kitchen table. The same kitchen table he has sat at for the past 12 years. His seat has a tear in the cushion, the same tear in the cushion that has been there for 9 years.
Hey, Mom? I was wondering if for Christmas, this year, you could get meTron on tape?
But, you already have that copy that the Hendersons made for you when they taped it off of HBO.
Yeah, I was kinda wondering if I could get a copy that wasn’t grainy or didn’t have sync issues with the audio.
Your video still works, you don’t need a new one.
Speaking of HBO, Mom, maybe we could get cable this year?
Cable?!? We are not paying to watch TV! But I will grow up never having watched Fraggle Rock…
Fade out young SRH at his dilapitated kitchen table
Fade in SRH at his work desk**
… I just have no idea what I would like for Christmas because those thoughts have been slowly eroded out of my system by long nights on a lumpy couch with only 3 television channels. Maybe when I have been married for longer than I lived with my parents, I will finally figure out how to come up with a Christmas list.
Any ideas to share?
To Recap:
I have a terrible time coming up with Christmas gifts for myself
Maybe a Graphire 4?
How about some S H O E S?
I need 2 CD’s from A Perfect Circle?
So accessories for the Nano I got last year?
As evidenced by yesterday’s post’s comments, my blog facilitates free and open communication between couples
That makes me proud
Little Man is going to be unhappy when we put his Thomas pajamas in the laundry tonight
They are a little ripe smelling at the moment
3 nights and 1 day seems to be the limit that his poor ‘jammies can take before Wifey and I have to condemn them to the hamper
Maybe my love for Tron can be directly traced to my parents’ unwillingness to buy me a copy, it’s an “I made it” kind of feeling
No really, if you have any ideas for Christmas gifts for me, I’ll take them
*the sitcom flashback sequence is harder to do in a blog than I would have thought
** no, really!
I think my lack of gift ideas for myself stems back to my childhood. My parents abstained from comforts and didn’t spend much money on anything whilst I was growing up – and they passed this tendency toward self-deprivation onto their children. Well, not both of their children. My brother has been known to buy a $400 sweater, but I balk at spending more than $50 for one.
Both of my parents came from households where, while they were not poor, money was pretty tight, and so they have never allowed themselves to have anything nice. For example, the sofa that they have is one that they got as a wedding gift 41 years ago. That’s right, they haven’t replaced their couch in 41 years. “They just don’t make them like they used to,” says my miserly father. No, Dad, they don’t, no one uses stone and un-tanned animal skins now. They were incensed when they had to replace their 18 year old microwave oven. It was the size of a steamer trunk, and took forever to “cook” anything. It was the premier technology of 1981, though. And when their refrigerator finally gave up the ghost it had been in the house since before they signed the mortgage 28 years earlier.
All that is pretty sad, actually, but let’s get back to me.
I was never taught to think about getting stuff. I wear the hell out of clothes. I am still using a cell phone from 4 years ago. I have been trained not to think of new things for myself. In fact, I remember one time …
Fade out SRH at his work desk…
Fade in...*
…Young SRH is sitting at the kitchen table. The same kitchen table he has sat at for the past 12 years. His seat has a tear in the cushion, the same tear in the cushion that has been there for 9 years.
Hey, Mom? I was wondering if for Christmas, this year, you could get meTron on tape?
But, you already have that copy that the Hendersons made for you when they taped it off of HBO.
Yeah, I was kinda wondering if I could get a copy that wasn’t grainy or didn’t have sync issues with the audio.
Your video still works, you don’t need a new one.
Speaking of HBO, Mom, maybe we could get cable this year?
Cable?!? We are not paying to watch TV! But I will grow up never having watched Fraggle Rock…
Fade out young SRH at his dilapitated kitchen table
Fade in SRH at his work desk**
… I just have no idea what I would like for Christmas because those thoughts have been slowly eroded out of my system by long nights on a lumpy couch with only 3 television channels. Maybe when I have been married for longer than I lived with my parents, I will finally figure out how to come up with a Christmas list.
Any ideas to share?
To Recap:
I have a terrible time coming up with Christmas gifts for myself
Maybe a Graphire 4?
How about some S H O E S?
I need 2 CD’s from A Perfect Circle?
So accessories for the Nano I got last year?
As evidenced by yesterday’s post’s comments, my blog facilitates free and open communication between couples
That makes me proud
Little Man is going to be unhappy when we put his Thomas pajamas in the laundry tonight
They are a little ripe smelling at the moment
3 nights and 1 day seems to be the limit that his poor ‘jammies can take before Wifey and I have to condemn them to the hamper
Maybe my love for Tron can be directly traced to my parents’ unwillingness to buy me a copy, it’s an “I made it” kind of feeling
No really, if you have any ideas for Christmas gifts for me, I’ll take them
*the sitcom flashback sequence is harder to do in a blog than I would have thought
** no, really!
Labels: History of SRH, Holidays
7 Comments:
You need a graphics card. One that you can give, free of charge btw, to a coworker the day after Christmas.
Gift card to your Fav book store. Can't go wrong there!
Later!
You need a collectors edition Tron DVD! With French subtitle option no less!
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?PID=2136342&style=movie&frm=frooglemovie
Hmmm, posted this before, but it doesn't show up.
1) a years subscription to either netflix or simply audio (CD book rentals)
2) Gift certificate for two at a good restaurant.
3) Really good coffee/tea/chocolate.
4) Really good quality pajamas/underwear/socks
5) St. Christopher medal
6) this: http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Jan-Svankmajer/dp/6305779635
Atmikha
Anon:
Ummmm I already have a nice graphics card... hey, wait a second!
JA:
That is typically one of the stocking stuffers in this family.
Nadolny:
Already have the Collector's Edition DVD. FYI: Most of the cast did not age well.
Atmikha:
1: I don't watch movies like I used to
2: Not a bad idea
3: Maybe the chocolate
4: Christmas eve gift is always pajamas
5: Not travelling anytime soon
6: Not too interested in the whole Alice story. I have read the original non-Disneyfied work and did not really get into it. I am not sure that this would be a good fit for me.
Thanks for the ideas though.
You really DON'T get the whole gift thing, huh!
Your dubiousness is exactly why these things have to be gifts, i.e. things you would like, but wouldn't buy for yourself.
-- Take the amazon reviews for the Alice film with a grain of salt. There is nothing "sinister," or scary about this movie. It is just different and very out-of-the-box creative. I think you would get it, and so would little srh. Fun for the whole family, and something you could watch a few million times without wanting to kill yourself. Which is how I make my video buying decisions.
Atmikha
P.S. Blockbuster might have it.
Sorry folks, thought I had answered these already. At least I had in my head.
Atmikha:
I do understand that gifts should be things that one typically would not get for themselves. That is why the my fam is not really considering clothes this year as Christmas gifts. they are just replinishments of wardrobe. The problem is that I was brought up in a family system where abstaining from luxury was the norm, so I really am at a loss for how to do it. I am getting better though...
ZingerZapper:
It is a burden to not know what we "want." Many people do not understand the pressure that we are under.
Peefer:
That really is a good gift. The church we most recently went to really advocated for Heifer International. That is a just a great organization.
However, I am not getting you or anon a graphics card.
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