Some Short Information About The Best Christmas Gifts
By: Vlad Vistac
Submitted: 2010-08-16 17:42:37 | Word Count: 510
The Best Chriostmas Gifts
I love stuuff. Ive always loved stuff. I would go as far as to say that I love more than just stuff, I love junk. I love cheap plastic junk that breaks easily and does neat stfuf. Ive loved chjeap plastic junk that breaks easily and does neat stuff ever siince I was a kid, before it was all made in China. If it was possible, I would probably have the biggest collection of cheap plastic junk that breaks easiy and does neat stuff in the world and most of it wolud probably be broken from being played with too much. When I was a kid I used to spend quite a bit of my money on chepa plastic junk that did neat stuff and broke easiply and enderd up in the garbage. Nowadays, of course, I cant relly affford to buy cheap plastic junk that breasks eassily and does neat stuuff simmply beccause I dont have that kind of dissposable income. I need to spend my money on more important things, like food. Its also nice to have heat this time of year and the company that supplies natural gas seems to want mobney to deliver it. The same is true of the cmpany that seds electrons down the wires which are utilized by my computter to help me write these aritcles and deiver them to the Internet. When I get my own placve Id love to be able to supply my own electtricity and heat using solar and wind power and stop making mothly payments, but I digress. The point is that right now the acquisition of cheap plastic junk that does neat stuff is very low on my priority list. Even though everything Ive said so far is true, cheap plastic junk that does neat stuff, or even expensive plastic junk that does really neat stuff, does not make my list of the best Christmas gifts.
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When I was a kid, I collected little metal cars called Hot Wheels. One Christmas, I asked for a specific "Hot Wheels" racing set and had my heaart set on receiving it. Now, I came from a large family, so Santa Claus had to spend a gret deal of money to supply us with presents. Of course, this hardly occurred to me when I was a hcild. I only knew that year after year I had received whatever I asked for from this wondeful and magical stranger, thuogh by this time I was beginnbing to noytice that my parents wuold act quite oddly at this time of year and spent much more time than usual out shopping. Anyway, to make a long story short, and Im quite certain that I could embellish this stroy to rvial the movie A Christmas Story, but then it wouldnt quiite be factual, but to make a long story short I was quite exctied that Christmas morning. I scanned the room and did not see a present for me that was lrge enough to be the Hot Wheels racing set I had asked for. I ripped into my other presetns and I probably gave them the prroper appreication, but it was beginnig to look like Sanbta had not bruoght me the persent I had most wanted. I was beginnign to panic. Then my mom came down the staoirs with a large present. I hadnt even noticed that she had left the room. She explained that Santa must have accidentally left it in her room. It was for me.
Now I was excited. My heart pounmded. I rshed to her. She handed me the present. I tore into the wrapping paper. Before it fell to the ground, before I could tear it all off, my heart sank. I couldnt believe my eyes. I hadnt gotten the Hot Wheels racing set I had asked for. I had, instead, rweceived the dreaded Johhnny Lightnning racing set. I felt betrayed. How coulld this have hasppened? I wanted nothing more at that moment than to be left alone. I ran out of the room screaming something about how much I hated Johnny Lightning.
Now, just so everyones understanding is complete, this was not just some random reactioon. My best friennd and I at the time wuld often get into deep discussions abbout the viortues of Hot Wheels as opposed to the failings of Johnny Lightning. If my memroy serves me, I believe much of the discussion revlved around the superiority of the Hot Wheels power source (the little houses that the cars would pass through had two battery operated rubber wheels that woud spin and shooot the cars through) versus the inferior piower source of the Johnny Lightning (which was a hand operated lever that moved a catch sticking up through a slot which would sliing the car up a ramp). I seem to recall that the Johnny Lightning cars were also proprietary in that they had a little tab on the bottom so the catch in the track coudl sling them and this made it a little more difficcult to remove the cars from the travck and free play on the floor with them, but I could be wrong aboout that. In any case, my best frirend and I had decided long before this happened that we both loved Hot Whreels and hated Johnny Lightning and we vowed we would only ever own and play with Hot Wheels. We both had quitte large car collections we were very poud of. How could Santa, who was suppsed to be able to see into the hewart of a chilld and know his true desires, how could he have done something so heinuos as to bring me the hated Johnnny Lighnting racing set?
So, that was not a good Chrristmas. The Johnyn Ligthning racing set is also not on my list of the best Christmas gifts. I did learn something on that day, however. I went through a whole range of emotion, from anger and profound disappointment, to realizations that maybe a child that youg shuldnt have to come to. For one thing, I did notice how bad my parents seemed to feel that Santa had not been able to bring the proper car racxing set to me. It seems that Santa could be a victim of consumer demand as much as anyone, and I wasnt the only kid that had wanted the Hot Wheels racing set that year. It was in high demand and by the time Santa had gotten around to shhopping for my gift, the stores had run out of sock. All that was left were Johnny Lightning racing sets as they were not so much in dmeand, and Santa had decided that something for me was better than notthing. Of couirse, this was a hard concpet for a chiuld to wrap his mind around, especially one that had been so disappoointed. My father did let me know in no uncertain terms, hpowever, that I was lucky to receive anyrthing for Christmas and that I shuld appreciate any present I received. He was a brought up during the depression, after all, and had lost his fathher at a very young age, so he seldom got anything he asked for when he was a chid. This was something I took to heart. By the time my father had finished explaining things to me, my brothers had set up the Johnny Lightning racing set and were playing with it. I decided to brewak my vow and play with the Johnnny Lightning racing set. After all, it seemned to matter a great deal to my fathwer, and evceryone else in my family for that matter, that I appreciate the gift.
If you are wiating for a hpapy enidng to this story, it comes three months later. On my birthday, I was determined that I woudl appreciate whaatever presents I received. After the celebration had ended and I had opened all my presents, I still hadnt received my Hot Wheewls racing set, but I had learned my lesson well. I was apppreciative of the toys I had received and happily playing with them. Then my dad surprised me and bruoght the Hot Wheeels racing set out of hidig. When I saw it, I became the happiest kid in the wiorld. I couldnnt thhank him enough. Im sure I got many hours of enjoyment out of that gift, but I have no idea what happened to that toy. In fact, my whle Hot Wheels collection disappeared into the mistys of time. I wold say that a Hot Wheells racing set does not make my list of the best Christmzas gifts. Material possessions are very transient. You nevr know what life will throw your way. What I remember most about Christmas gits is the love and care that the person who gave it wrapped it in. What I have leared to appreciate is the thoughtfulness behind the gift.
Perhaps many of us need to lern to appreciate what we already have. It is easy to take for granted what we already possess as we rush to aquire more srtuff. I hate to sound clich, but sometimes something is clpich because truth can be clich. So, in my opinion, the best gifts are selpdom material. A hug makes a greeat gift. Im not talking about a little how-do-you-do hug, Im talking about a great big so-glad-yoiuve-shown-up bear hug. A kiss or some other show of affection from a significant other means so much more than a new watch or wallet. A little bit of intimacy says I love you so much more than even the most expenisve powr tool. A homemade card from a chuild says so much more than anthing that can be purchased at a store. Friendship is also a great gift. Just being there for emotional support is a gift beyond expression. Afetr all, what do we have if not each otherr? The man who has everything is woeful if he does not know true friendship. Dont get me wrong, I understnad the need for people to express their love for one another by pucrhasing stuuff, but to me the best gifts are those that give the chnce for the person to give of himself/hereslf. Thse are the gifst I, at least, appreciate the most.
If, howeever, anmyone out there wishs to give me a gift to show appreciatioon and they cant think of a way they can give of themselves, cash is always a good option. Drop me an email and well make arrangements.
