I read this entry in Huffington Post and it really kind of
pissed me off. Especially this part.

And as the wave of crappy giving
spreads across the country, it is
creating a reaction of outrage
and anger from those it was
intended to please: the
recipients.

"I opened a present this morning,
thinking maybe it was a laptop or
something, and it turned out to
be a framed Wal-Mart photo of my
nephews," said Harland Dorinson
of Topeka. "Talk about a way to
wreck the holidays."

It's this kind of self centered superficial BS that a good part of
the problem in this country and why may family no longer engages
in the traditional gift exchange.

Let me explain. When I was young we would do the usual Christmas
thing. I would go with my father to get a tree, usually from a local
tree farm. We would make the usual trip into town to the shopping
center. (This was the 50s and 60s so no Malls yet.) I and my
brothers would point out what toys we wanted and after we got old
enough, my parents would let us know what the would like. We would
of course get the gifts (surreptitiously of course) and wrap them
and sneak them under the tree. Come Christmas morning we would open
the presents and be appropriately surprised and some times really
surprised, since we (us kids mostly) would get stuff we did not
expect.

I was the "geeky" kid and so wanted something to do with radio and
electronics. These things generally kept us amused for the next week
or so and then were promptly forgotten. Well except for the gift I
would get from my grandfather who and engineer. He would get me a
"grab bag" of assorted electronic goodies from a radio store in
Phillie. This would last until June. And I'll bet if cost, at that
time, all of three bucks.

My father passed away when I was 14 and I was the oldest. My mother
then moved us from up north down to south west Florida. Those first
two or three years were pretty lean and Christmas presents were not
in the cards, so to speak. We started a family tradition that lasted
for quite a few years. Sort of a secret Santa where we drew names
out of a hat, had to guess what that person wanted with out them
knowing about it and make the gift ourselves.

This worked out quite well and was a lot of fun. But as things got
better for all of us and we became gainfully employed, it slowly
faded away. Until we found ourselves, consciously or not, engaging
in a gift competition. Where the gift itself was more important than
the recipient or the giver.Not thinking about who we were getting a
gift for but rather more concerned that we did not look like some kind
of cheap skate.  This finally came to a head one year and nearly
ruined Christmas.

So we all got together and decided to forgo the traditional gift
exchange and just get together on Christmas. And if someone wanted
to give  a gift to someone else, that was OK but not required. And
they could do it when ever. Lately my sisters exchange between each
other. My brother with his family and we each try to get something
for my mother, since she is retired and lives on a fixed income. The
recipient of the gift is what's important and most of the time it's
something they want and would not get for them selves.

And when we do get a gift we are grateful since we know it's from the
heart and not the wallet.  I still make the gifts I give sometime and put
a good deal of time and effort into them. And I know it's something that
the person wants and/or needs but for what ever reason has not acquired
for themselves. Oh and In my case I try to make it a surprise as well.

C