By Fred Meyer, December 11, 2014
I resist sending cards or gifts according to scheduled occasions. I’d rather send them when inspired by the connection between a particular person and an event especially related to that person.
With my sister, Fern, I’m able to make a creative response to conventional gift-giving occasions. I send her imaginary gifts at Christmas, or for her birthday.
This response is possible with Fern because we share a common sense of both fantasy and humor. Here’s an illustration of an imaginary gift – a gift that I sent her one Christmas past.
I had read somewhere that spreading hair clippings in a garden would keep rabbits from eating the plants. My sister had complained about the problem of voracious rabbits “disappearing” plants from her garden. The next time I was at the barbershop, I watched with interest as the barber, Victor, swept up large quantities of clippings. I asked Victor what he did with all those clippings He said he just threw them away. I asked if I could have some to send to my sister. He said yes.
A few days later, I walked by a local Hallmark shop. In the window, they displayed decorative 3-gallon tins in which to send flavored popcorn as a gift. Aha, I thought: I’ll “send” a 3-gallon tin of hair clippings to Fern for her garden!
So, I sent Fern a Christmas card saying that a special gift of hair clippings was coming her way…but might not arrive in time for Christmas Day, given the vagaries of the postal inspection process. (The card – with the idea of sending her a tin of hair clippings – was my imaginary gift.)
Of course, Fern responded with an effusive note of thanks for the anticipated gift of hair clippings, and said that she looked forward with much pleasure to its arrival!