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Rocky View Weekly reporter dreading Christmas shopping

I started my advent calendar this week and that has triggered a major fear for me: Christmas shopping. Every year I approach the issue in the same way: denial. “No, Christmas is not a season away. No, it’s not a month away.

I started my advent calendar this week and that has triggered a major fear for me: Christmas shopping.

Every year I approach the issue in the same way: denial.

“No, Christmas is not a season away. No, it’s not a month away. No, it’s not next week,” I convince myself.

And then when the reality sets in, that my advent calendar does not lie, the only thing left to do is panic.

I start to wonder why my imagination is failing me and preventing me to think of a unique gift for my father who’s, by definition, impossible to buy for. Or how I can convince Canada Post to speed up delivery for standard shipping times. Or how to dodge the mall and all its infamous glory, while still completing the shopping list.

One thing you should know about me is that I’m not a shopper. I dread it really. The ideal shopping scenario for me is having a set item I need, going to the store alone, finding the item that meets the requirements in 20 minutes or less, paying and going home.

So browsing through shop after shop to come up with the most creative and thoughtful gift for each person on my list just doesn’t happen in a sensible way. Online shopping has been a good suggestion, but I just don’t trust the picture on the screen to be the same as the thing I get in the box. Read: bad experience in the past.

Most years I cheat and double up on gifts with my too-organized older sister. She creates gift-idea lists in September, shops in October and has wrapping and decorating done by November.

It’s admirable.

My other sister – her twin – is a mix of the two of us. She has her shopping done in November but every year each member of my family can expect to get a bath set in some variation. It works out well for me because it’s all things I need and dislike spending the time going to the store for.

But for my 18-year-old brother, it calls into question concerns about hygiene issues.

Speaking of my brother, he has never failed to produce a gift that has not been wrapped in something found around the house. It started out with gifts in garbage bags sealed with duck tape, moved up to gifts in newspaper sealed with wood glue, and the most recent upgrade was a repurposed tablecloth tied together with a skipping rope.

That’s creativity I’ve certainly made note of.

Everyone says it’s the thought that counts, but I’m willing to put my hand in the fire to say that that’s very, very untrue.

One year, my mom had us all make Christmas ornaments (again, to bust out the creativity card). I’d say my brother’s and my ornaments tied for the worst despite the “thought” that went into them. We continue to be ridiculed to this day.

Mine consisted of old seashells with the words Merry Christmas written in Sharpie across them. My brother made paper cut-outs of snowflakes. So when people tell you it’s the thought that counts, they really mean it’s the thought of going to the store and completing the transaction on an amazing gift that counts.

Last year, I missed Christmas completely since I was half-way through a year-long trip to Asia. Gifts were a direct deposit to each person’s bank account. So this year I’m really feeling the pressure to impress.

I’m thinking shampoo bottles wrapped in newspaper (I should have plenty kicking around) and personally-delivered the day before Christmas?


Airdrie Today Staff

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