Conspicuous Consumption

How many gift tins of popcorn do you need? How many shaving kits with sample size bottles of cologne that spell like the underside of a dead animal do you have in your bathroom? This Christmas season, I have a crazy idea. Don't give anyone a crappy gift that they don't want. Instead of giving your Great Aunt Zelda some perfume that she wouldn't wear to pick up poop out of the yard, give her a little bit of your time instead. Give her a gift of your time, maybe come over and rake her leaves, or empty out her basement for her. Haul that old refrigerator to the dump for her, or shampoo her carpets. You could take her out for a wonderful meal somewhere, then maybe to a show she would like to see. The choices are unlimited on what you could do for her instead of buying one more piece of junk that is destined to be in a yard sale next summer. You could offer to help her plant her garden, or trim her trees. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Honestly, how much crap does one person need, anyway? I have been living a lot more simply than I used to. I was one of those people that had to have the latest gadget, the newest release. It's stupid. When you die, it's just one more thing for the yard sale, seriously. Try to show people that you love them this year with some thought in what you give them, not just the shiniest piece of crap that you could find on the shelf. Time is the one gift that you can give to someone else, and still get the best part for yourself. The memories that you will have of helping out your Aunt Kate or your Uncle Rufus will be much better than anything that will probably break in two weeks from some big box store. Time is a lot easier to wrap than some of the other trinkets at the mall, and it makes you feel great too. Think about it, you'll thank me later.