Dec. 27, 2002 - 11:56 PST

THE WONDERING JEW

Which Type ?

Molly Ivins trots out the quotes today, one she cites is from Chekhov, "Any idiot can face a crisis: It is this day to day living that wears you out." I think the old boy had a point there. In crises it is easy to duck and weave, and get a blow in when possible. Meeting the monotony of day to day living sometimes boggles my mind. Some quotes are hilarious, "Bob Eckhardt, on the occasion to the Texas legislature voting to cut off aid to illegitimate children." "I am not so much concerned about the natural bastards as I am about self made ones." You said it Bob !

Then there is one which pictures me to a tee. William Sloan Coffin said, "It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, 'Let justice roll down like mighty waters,' and quite another to work out the irrigation system. Clearly there is more certainty in the recognition of wrongs that there is in the prescription for their cure." As ever I can see the many things in the world and our country that are wrong but in most cases am at a dead end when it comes to the righting of those wrongs. Every solution I come up with is immediately deleted as they obviously would cause more problems than those already existing. Words of wisdom with a twist that make me laugh with a tear in the corner of my eye.

I guess these times the problem of what gift to get Aunt Mamie or Uncle Guge has been solved forever. That is if they have enough access to the web to set up a wish list with ?Amazon? or others. A well engineered wish list automatically subtracts from the list whatever has been ordered from it. Just a matter of one picking out a gift that is affordable to that party that is wanted by the recipient. Seems so cut and dried to me. Even wedding presents, it seems so prim and vapid. I must laugh though, when Heather and I were married we received 18 iced tea sets, pitchers and glasses. We did get as many nice things as could be purchased during war time though.

Looking at it from the aspect of my childhood it was a dreary climate. What red blooded boy wants socks, neckties and shirts for a birthday or Christmas ? On the other hand, this boy's wants varied from minute to minute. How can a parent win ? Once in a while I would receive a present that I slavered at the thought of. That was memorable.

Then there is the other method of giving. Gift certificates. Heather frowns on that method, whereas I like the idea. If it is not cut and dried sure what a person wants in particular, then it is my inclination to give a gift certificate. Heather, on the other hand goes to great lengths to pick out the very ideal gift for each person. Sometimes one of the small ones will say something to the order of, "Well, that's what I wanted last summer," in a disappointed tone. Sometimes one can see the set of the jaws taken by an older person when they get something they don't really want, while the gears turn in their brain wondering what on earth led someone to think they wanted that "whatever." Occasionally it is possible to obtain and give a longed for item to a person who really wants same. That, I think is a rare case, unless it is for a mate.

Heather feels that it is a display of indifference and a kind of lip service to gifting to give a certificate. In some ways I agree with her, When in doubt as to where the giftee likes to shop I get a very nice card and enclose the largest amount I can afford in US green paper. Money is crass of course, but that amount plus what has been put aside by the recipient can be spent on something that is their heart's desire. So its a wise man who knows the heart of a recipient I guess. As always in our family - the gift - Which Type ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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