Gift ideas

The blog challenge: I'm losing already! Well, we can start it today if you like. I blame family and graduation.

And before I dash off to the grocery, as I am wont to do, let me throw this out there as my first blog challenge post. It's appropriate around now, and if you know me, you'll know why (hint: it's my birthday in about a week!).

Preface: I don't think this post makes me particularly self-centered; I think it makes me conscious of my role as a consumer in this world. I don't enjoy the custom of gifts, as it guilts people into buying things that other people do not want. But I understand the desire of others to commemorate me on this anniversary of me popping out of my mother's womb into a world that might self-destruct before I do.

Things to get me that I will like:
- experiences, preferably with you. Tickets to a concert that we both like would be awesome! Or take me out to dinner or lunch, I would certainly enjoy that. Or for a drink, or for a mid-afternoon snack, or to a folk festival, or a lecture or artistic or comedic experience. Even if it's cheap, and especially if I wouldn't normally go to it.
- consumable things that I like to consume. Examples include beer, tea, uh, fancy liquor, or any packaged food with a different language on it. Examples do not generally include wine, although I can't say I'd mind. I will think of you as I consume this item. Then I will recycle the packaging.
- things I need. Of course, you probably don't know what I need, and if I really needed something, I'd buy it myself, which leads us to:
- gift cards. For stores I like. Which are... well... almost by definition, not national chains. (there are exceptions: Chipotle, REI, uh, and probably others...) Or even unofficial gift cards: you could give me some money and say "buy some clothes with this," and I would, and that would be nice. Or if you said something that I didn't want, like "buy a new watch with this", I would just buy something else and smile and lie to you. But then we don't have the waste of you buying me a watch that I'll never use.
- nothing! You can buy me nothing! I will not be offended, because I am officially asking for nothing! You could put some nothing in a (reusable) box; then I would be thrilled because you would be the first person to actually listen when I say I want nothing!
- or of course, something that you put a lot of time into, with some meaning. Those sentimental sort of gifts are always nice.
- last but not least, cash is actually fine. I won't think you thoughtless. I will think, "you don't have to get me cash" and maybe I would spend it taking you out for an ice cream cone. Everybody wins!

Really. Make the world a better place. Or at least, refrain from making the world a worse place. Stop waste. Please. I love you anyway without you adding another THING to a landfill and another debt to your credit card.