Saturday, Dec 24: Gifts
Did you give or receive a meaningful gift this year?
Did you give or receive a meaningful gift this year?
Years ago, there was no such thing as gift cards. We used to work off of Christmas wish lists, hope we got the right things, and then if not (or if they were broken), it was Exchange Wars the next day. I don't want to say gift cards have ruined gift purchasing, but they have lessened the "personal touch" or meaning behind a gift, in my opinion. Unless I'm absolutely desperate and have run out of time, I'll purchase gift cards. Otherwise, recipients are getting "something"!
When I was seven, I started collecting baseball cards. It was a simpler (and cheaper) time in Smalltown, USA. I could walk up to our locally-owned novelty store, buy two packs of baseball cards and can of RC Cola for $1.00. Over the years, especially those in the 80's, I collected baseball cards. I had a percentage of my weekly allowance dedicated to baseball cards. A few of my friends and I would head over to Vincennes, IN to two baseball cards shops and go crazy.
Once I got to college, my collecting days started waning, but I've always kept my baseball cards. I could talk about collecting them with friends, talk to them regarding how to collect, what to look for in collecting, and the like. Over the years, I've heard horror stories about how friends sold off their collections, lost their collections to a flood or a spring-cleaning mother, and what not. But my parents knew my collection held a special place in my heart and childhood, so they stayed with me. I can't tell you how much I have invested in them, nor can I tell you how much my collection is worth. But they will stay with me for a while, even if they are currently in storage.
Fast forward to 2011.
This year, my nephew received 3-4 packs of baseball cards from his grandfather, and an addiction started. My brother-in-law was able to find perhaps 100 of his older baseball cards from the early-90's, so my nephew now has more in his collection - although he doesn't know any of the players (other than Jose Oquendo, since he's a Cardinals fan - WHERE did I go wrong).
This year, for my nephew's 9th birthday gift, I gave him his first baseball card book. It had plenty of sheets for his cards for display. I also gave him a package of individual card holders and a couple of specially-made boxes. I also told him about my baseball card collection, which he didn't know about. He's now begging me to move back to Indianapolis permanently, so that he can "coerce" me to take him to a Colts game, but I'm thinking he really wants to see my baseball card collection (once I'm out of storage). He wants to see old cards and old "Cards". This afternoon, I'm heading back to his house for the first time since receiving his baseball card book - I can't wait to see how he's got his book arranged. Perhaps there's a $20 bill going to wind up in his pocket with a promise to take him to the baseball cards shop in town.
I can't wait to talk baseball cards again with him (and eventually, I hope, with my son or daughter). It's Christmas Eve - I can't wait to be 9 again.
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