Newage Shop
Newage Shop
When Gifts Go Wrong
When Gifts Go Wrong
Occasionally, something that starts out as a heartfelt sentiment or a desire to make somebody smile turns out to be something that was not intended at all. Most of the time people can remember that it is the thought that counts. There are times when this is made more difficult when greeting cards or gifts to go horribly wrong.
One thing that you can do that can make gift giving go awry is to give gifts that please the receiver but that cause pain or hardship to others around them. A common example of this type of gift-giving is the mischievous aunt or uncle who sends their young nephew a drum set. They will not have to be around for the headache-inducing lessons and the incessant pounding of the bass drum but they do enjoy the feeling of giving to others. If you are this mischievous aunt or uncle do not be surprised if you are not invited to the next family picnic.
Next up on the list are the gifts or greeting cards that are appropriate for almost no-one. Suppose you have just started dating somebody. This happens most often to men; they might feel that sending a card with risqué words or pictures or something that they bought from the sex shop would be in really funny, tongue-in-cheek thing to do. Often it does not turn out this way. The receiver is left in the state of complete shock and there have been many times in the history of dating when something like this has ended up being a deal breaker.
Sometimes it can be a gift that in another setting would be perfectly appropriate but it is simply delivered at the wrong place or time. Suppose you and your partner have been dating for a while and you have become fairly intimate with each other. You even share a good sense of humour, and you have the latitude in your relationship to send a gag gift. If received at home, everyone would get a good laugh. If greeting cards or gifts like this are received at work red faces an awkwardness are the result.
There is also the age-inappropriate gift. This can make the receiver and the rest of the family feel awkward. Gifts of clothing can be really nice if you select the right thing. When your young niece opens her micro mini skirt and tube top set on Christmas morning she might even be happy. You might feel the laser beams shooting out of her parents’ eyes straight into your chest.
There are many varieties of the age-inappropriate gift. Weaponry can often go wrong for somebody who is still very young. Alcohol for somebody who is lower than the legal age is never a good idea, and you can even go wrong with gifts for older people. Even though grandpa may seem young for his age, buying him a skateboard might not work out well.
Sometimes there is nothing wrong at all with the gifts that you buy, it is simply this circumstances of the situation that are the problem. All jokes aside, you can make somebody feel bad when either you get them something for an occasion and they did get something for you or you have obviously purchased something much more expensive for much less expensive than they have. The idea behind gifts or greeting cards is to make somebody feel good; make sure that your gift giving does just this.
About the Author
Louisa Mann is a fan and is a practitioner of random acts of kindness. For more information on how you can change your part of the world with an inspirational Wish Card, go to http://www.wishcard.us.
Robert Alcazane @ The New Age Shop (Hong Kong)