My Project: 365 Creative Writing
Prompts
Day 69: Christmas gifts to
avoid
The
number one Christmas gift to avoid is a pet.
Kittens
and puppies may look adorable in the store or shelter, but they are not ideal
gifts.
Kittens
and puppies tend to grow up and then what?
Will the gift receiver commit to love and care for them for their entire
life span? Do they have the time and
life style to care for a pet?
Many
people travel for work and are often away for days or even weeks. These people generally do not have pets as
leaving them creates a problem. Who will
feed them?
Giving
a bird, a fish or any other life animal is an equally bad idea. They too need care on a daily basis and
presenting someone with such a gift is thoughtless.
Should
you want to rescue an animal from a shelter and present it to someone make sure
that the animal is welcome.
Another
gift to avoid is fragrance. Unless you
are familiar with the fragrance the lady in your life uses, stay away from the
cute little bottles. Something may smell
nice to you, but that does not necessarily mean that she will share your
opinion.
Come
to think of it, stay away from the personal care isle altogether. Ladies are
fussy which creams and lotions they use. Unless you are familiar with her
preferences, do not take chances.
Ladies,
the same goes for you. You may like a certain cologne, but does he? The time that men had only a handful of
colognes to choose from are long gone. These days the display cabinet of men’s
fragrances is almost as extensive as the one for ladies.
Chocolates
or other candy may seem like a good idea, but is it? Perhaps the lady in your life is trying to
lose a few pounds. Perhaps a certain type of chocolate makes her face break out
in spots. She might even be diabetic.
Giving
a woman who is a bit overweight a book on dieting, or giving a woman who does
not like to cook a cookbook is an equally bad idea. You may think you are
helping her, but she might just chuck it at you. If you want to give her a
book, familiarize yourself with her preferred authors.
Do
not give her clothes, unless you are certain of her size. If the garment is too
small she will be disappointed; if it is too big she might be insulted. And
even if the item is the right size, will she like the color or texture?
Knock-offs
are best to be avoided too. Whether it is a Guess handbag, or a Gucci watch, if
you cannot afford the real thing, stay away from it. Far better to buy
something cheaper, but for it to be the real thing.
Before
setting off for your Christmas shopping, listen to the receiver of your gift,
she might just drop a hint.
Or,
if you are totally clueless, ask her to draw up a wish list. Whatever you
decide to buy, play it safe and keep the receipt.
