The
other day I walked into a store to get me a pair of thermal wears. Nothing
fancy, just looking for a decent a pair to keep warm in the cold. The
storekeeper struck up a conversation and laid out all the available options. I
politely declined the choices because you see I already had something in mind.
“Aren’t you buying it for yourself?” he asked.
“No, it’s for a friend,” I lied.
Without missing a beat,
“We have something cheaper” he
hinted.
“Thank you, it’s alright,” I said
and took leave.
As
I walked along the street I wondered “Now why would he comment ‘we have
something cheaper’ at my lie?” It did not really imply that I was being cheap,
not really directly. But it did reflect a hint of that popular perception –“the
best for me, the next for my friend.” No wonder maybe that’s why when gifts are
given and received, the joy is missing. This not to chide all, but to those who
can give the “best” but choose to settle for something else.
If we could think of the
other's need first while getting the gift rather than our budget.
If we could give a gift
that fills us with joy and not compulsion.
If we could make the worth of the
“gift” not depend on the worth of the person.
“Truth”
out of a small lie, providing a peek into the way we think. Maybe we will
learn to think better, bigger and fuller the next time we go gift hunting.
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