These articles are popping up in my feed with increasing ferocity right now. For the “hard to please”. For “the person who has everything”. You, too?
Sometimes I look at their list of gift solutions. It’s all Shit No One Wants. Shit That Takes Up Room in Miscellaneous Kitchen Drawers and Precious Resources On The Planet. Like gold-plated business card clips. And, sorry to target Goop, but, seriously…a Nymphenburg trio of porcelain wine bottle stoppers?! For $1900?
I have an antidote. A better solution. A better guide. If someone is “hard to please” it generally means they don’t want/need stuff. So don’t buy it.
I put out this notice explicitly to those around me. I’ve told most of my loved ones, don’t buy me anything. I now get sent “virtual flowers” (pictures of flowers).
For my 40th birthday my brothers and sister put together a calendar of experiences (kayaking, surfing, hiking, eating). For Christmas my entire “hard to please” family have agreed not to buy presents for each other. We pitch in for a house down the coast instead. And hang out and wrestle and bicker together for a week.
I’ve also clearly advised on my sites, “Press agents, please don’t send me stuff”. Please don’t waste the resources, the postage.
You know, sometimes I do despair. Why do we get things so wrong and complicated? Why don’t we put an end to this madness?
Does consumerism annoy you as well? Tell me about your take on this in the comments beloew!
