Do You Want A Gift Receipt?

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Vintage blog 11 December 2015, about re-gifting. You give me a Christmas gift. I don't like it. I give it to another person.

Do you want a gift receipt? The question was from a sales assistant in December 2015, after I had bought a jacket that weighs 20 kilos to repel the freezing weather.

I find the question strange because a receipt is a receipt period. I suppose it’s called a gift receipt in December because you’re all ungrateful. You return Christmas gifts because you don’t like them. What happened to: “it’s the thought that counts” sentiment?

I have a solution. I will not give people gift receipts. Instead, I will buy them things I like, including my size and colour.

I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you did not like the red parka I got you for Christmas. You don’t like the colour? It’s for your safety.  Visibility. The blizzards around here affect drivers’ concentration. They must see that a pedestrian is crossing the road and not run you over.

There will be some brave folks who will ask me for gifts receipts. Their loss, because I won’t buy them a thing in 2016, 2017, 2018 and beyond.

Instead, I’ll ask them to give me the gifts so that I return them to the store myself.  Will I?  Not on your life!  Remember i bought them something that I like.  I will keep them.

That is called re-gifting.  No, a ‘selfie’ re-gifting. 

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang

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