I have often joked that the deadline is the impetus to start the project.
I’m not chuckling quite as much about that right now. As the Queen has so eloquently been mimicked, “I am NOT amused.”
Let’s establish something: I do not have employment outside of what I choose to do with my writing. In other words, I do not have to be anywhere from 9-5 or any other arbitrary hours. I, in fact, would appear to have all the time in the world, which begs the question, “What the hell was I thinking?”
Why would I leave my Christmas shopping until now? Now when the lines are crushing up to the registers, the deals have been scooped up, the time to complete homemade items has flipped away like those old movie calendars of yesteryear…gone, gone, gone.
One would almost think I enjoy the angst. Perhaps that’s it. Don’t we constantly (and mostly unconsciously) ensure that we remain in our comfort zone, whether that zone is truly comfortable or not?
It’s not like I have a lot of people to buy for. I keep it pretty low-key.
In fact, when I get right down to the absolutely nitty gritty truth…the only real shopping that I have left is for my husband. Therein lies my one and only dilemma.
You see, I have been patiently waiting for the epiphany of the truly unique thing to give him. I was hoping for the inspiration for the gift that would be so different and fabulous and worthy of all that he is to me. I kept thinking that this flash would come soon…if I just waited and postponed my shopping until I knew.
I thought, that like a bright star in the night sky, I’d suddenly know, that this, this is the perfect thing that can tell him how much he means to me.
Perhaps I’ve imbued this elusive gift with too much weight? Â Is it having to represent too much? What on earth could be waiting in a mall that could possibly sum up a lifetime of love?
So you can see how socks, no matter how fuzzy and fabulous, don’t quite don’t do it either.
Then again, maybe they’d be quite the perfect item if I quit thinking that so much is wrapped up in my choice.
What if I separated the thing from the feeling? Perhaps…
Love is love.
Gift is gift.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
(Honey? I hope you like your new socks…)
What’s that rule about how the work expands to the time allotted? I’ve been prepping for Christmas since Thanksgiving and I’m still not done. Starting early gives a false sense of security. I’m scrambling to wrap up some jobs so I can use my babysitting time to go to the mall this week. Three kids, and not one present wrapped. I don’t even have all the presents. So I’m right there with ya. Tis the season. 🙂
Angie…perhaps it’s just the way it’s supposed to be? I’m happy to know that starting early is just as problematic as starting late!
Proving, that like life, there is no sure-fire way to do this…one simply somehow muddles through.
Do you think Martha runs around at the last minute too? I secretly hope so 🙂
We, my little family and our mothers, decided last Christmas that we were only going to give each other one gift, but it had to be handmade. A whole year later, here we are saying, “Holy shit! What were we thinking?” Because, of course, that “one gift” has to be just right, and has to replace a whole pile of lovely things. We’re already thinking that maybe next year we just need to draw names so we each only have to focus on one gift period, or perhaps (gasp) give no gifts at all. There’s just never an easy way to go. Good luck finding the right thing for your hubby.
Sharry, isn’t it amazing the kind of hoops we throw ourselves through? And it’s not enough that we fling ourselves through hoops but they have to be flaming and very small too!
Good luck in your quest as well. Sounds like we’re all going to need all the help we can get 🙂