On Gifting

Good morning, Readers!

Image courtesy of meditate2go.com blog. Click for link.

How are you this morning?

I'm well, thanks for asking!

Let's talk about gifting, shall we?

Some people love receiving gifts.  I mean... free stuff!  What's not to like?

Other people are very weird.

Like me.

I don't like receiving gifts all that much - especially if it's for no reason at all.  It makes me uncomfortable.  Really uncomfortable if the gift is given without a reason (like a birthday or something).  Of course, I realise that makes things a little tougher for people who like to gift.  Still, I'm setting a boundary.  Please no gifts for no reason.  To help you out, I've made a few helpful lists!

(Please note, I'm being pretty facetious at the moment.  While this is all true, it's not an indictment on anyone, and I realise that I'm weird)

Things I do not consider gifts:

• Hand-me-down clothes.  Technically they are gifts, since I get them for free, but I don't feel bad because they'd be thrown out or given away regardless.  They weren't purchased specifically to give to me.
• Hand-me-down tech.  If you're just going to throw it out any way, I'm cool with accepting it.  After all, it wasn't bought for me specifically.

Acceptable reasons to gift:

• Birthday
• Christmas
• Thank-yous for work I've done (assuming there was no payment)

Unacceptable gifts unless you're a partner or family:

• Clothing
• Jewellery

Gifts I am comfortable accepting (on special occasions) from non-family/partner:

• Alcohol... of course
• Books
• Weapons
• Gift certificates
• Trinkets
• Flowers (though... why?)
• Bacon
• Chocolate

Things that I will happily accept all the time even though they're technically gifts:

• VEGEMITE!
• No, that's it.  Just Vegemite.

I can feel another round of arguments from readers coming, so before everyone gets on their high horse to jump down my throat:

This is another personal quirk of mine.  Like one's opinion on my beauty or lack thereof, I dislike receiving gifts - except on the days when it's traditional to receive gifts.  The fact that I'm uncomfortable doesn't mean I don't appreciate the fact that the gifter was trying to be thoughtful or nice.  I don't for one minute think that they were intentionally trying to make me uncomfortable.

However, if someone tries to gift me something, and I politely decline the gift (for example: receiving jewellery or clothing from a married man), and they then insist that I become uncomfortable to appease them, then I have an issue.  Then I immediately know they're not trying to be nice at all.  They want something.  They value their pride more than my comfort.  They're playing power games.

And I fucking hate power games.

It's like the whole Nice Guy TM fallacy.  If you're being nice to get some kind of reward (A date.  A kiss.  Sex.  A cookie), then you're not nice at all.  You're an arsehole.  You don't get a cookie for treating another person like they're a human being.  That's how you should treat people.  Always.

So, I know it's weird, but please, no gifts unless it's my birthday/Christmas/I've helped you out for free... and unless it's Vegemite.

Hey, that stuff's near impossible to find here.

Okay, now that I've given you all aneurysms, I'm off the learn more Welsh.

Ciao!