CHRISTMAS SEASON: WHAT BOOMERS SHOULD KNOW

Christmas season for boomers comes with the sort of experience people go to therapy for.

We know what to do, also what not to do. The important thing is we do both.

With more readers coming in from faraway places like Shanghai China and Portland Oregon, it’s not too early to help them out.

But first an admission:

If you search blogs for shopping advice and deals and the trending gifts of the Christmas Season, keep looking.

While you’re at it, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself if you need anyone telling you what to buy.

The suburban dream lifestyle includes big box stores full of the sort of things people pretend to love, love, love.

If you receive a Target gift from a loved one, love, love, love it. Show you love it, tell you love it, then next week find the box for re-gifting next year.

Which brings us to lesson #1:

If anyone thinks enough of you to go out of their way and buy a gift, no matter where it’s from, show you appreciate the effort.

Christmas Season Special: Effort

Since no one lives in Costco, or BiMart, or Dick’s Sporting Goods, it takes time and effort to look for and find a gift.

Humbugs don’t understand this part, the part where someone wants to give you something. Whether it’s out of obligation, affection, or a gag gift, what you unwrap carries a message.

“You are worthy of caring about,” whether you agree or not.

To make the point even sharper, here’s a test:

Think of the people you think care about you. Got it?

Now think of the people you care about. Which list is bigger?

Christmas lunatics want to give everyone they care about gifts, and love gifts from people who care about them most of all.

Sounds expensive? It is. Verrrrrry expensive, and a little sad when they all end up in the re-gift box.

Special Effort Makes A Special Christmas

If you’re a craft person, you already know this: making things make the best presents.

And if you’re not crafty, make something anyway.

Here’s a short list of presents made and given in one household.

Someone left a guitar on the ground and one of their friends stepped on the body and caved it in. It was a cheap guitar turned to trash?

That’s what it looked like to the non-craft eye.

The crafter’s view saw an opportunity to recycled, reuse, reduce, which isn’t re-gifting.

Someone saw this poor guitar, broke out the foam-core, and created a Guitar Cabinet that hangs on the wall by the sort of hooks other guitars hang on with sets of shelves for music gear.

Someone complained one Christmas Season about all of the impersonal throw away gifts. Next Christmas they received a custom piece of wood with their name and important dates carved into it with a router and finished with Watco.

You won’t find that in any store, for good reason.

Another year one present was a large piece of 5/4 oak with their names carved into with a router and finished with Watco.

Those were merry Christmases.

Low Effort Sends Wrong Message

Christmas Season is not some kind of cruel psychological test to determine if you had a happy childhood, boomer.

As the most pampered generation, most self-indulgent, and getting worse, the entire world, or at least a majority of Millennials, know the story.

From the outside looking in, we must seem strange. What have got to complain about? Don’t for a minute think we’re above whining.

One year in the middle of Schwinn Stingray mania I got a huge Firestone bike instead. It was too big to ride, but I gave it try.

The bike and I crashed on Ohio street in North Bend so often that it became a danger. It wasn’t completely ruined in a year, but it was close.

Now I see they are collectible on eBay.

I wanted a Stingray, but gave up on asking for it. A ten speed was the new dream bike, so my present was a Sears banana seat Stingray knock-off with three speeds that broke after two months of bike abuse.

It had a tiger stripe seat for extra flair.

As an older teen my present was a combo sound system with a turntable, eight track, and radio from the green stamp store. I was underwhelmed and said so.

Don’t ever do that.

My first year in the college dorm without any sounds made the one I left behind a treasure. My parents didn’t like my non-appreciation of their efforts. When I came home and asked about that sound system, they said they’d given it to someone who understood value.

Christmas present shaming is not a pretty part of the season, so avoid it by giving thanks even if you’re not feeling it.

Boomers know how it works, now you do too.

PS: What are your worst presents given or received? Leave a comment.