when i was 16 my mother and sister both pitched in to buy me … a shaver. I didn’t even fucking have facial hair. they bought one that was ridiculously overpriced. I could’ve gotten a Playstation 2 for the ridiculous amount they paid but instead they got me this dumb fucking appliance that I don’t think I even used ONCE.
still can’t grow a beard for shit to this day though…
what’s worse is, they took me fucking shopping for it lying to my goddamn face telling me it was for my dad. I made it as clear as humanly possible at the time that this was a pointless, stupid farce of a plan because HE WAS TRYING TO GROW A BEARD AT THE TIME. They kept looking at each other with this stupid smug expression while pointlessly trying to draw me into the discussion about what shaver would be best for him.
When they revealed that it was actually for me,
sigh
…I didn’t blow up at them or anything, I didn’t pitch a fit or throw a tantrum, I just…
look. I knew, even back then, it’s a dick move to look a gift horse in the mouth. it’s a present. i’m supposed to be grateful. the least i could do is be diplomatic about it.
But that did not change the fact that they had every opportunity to listen to me, but chose not to. They made a big performative display of acting like they actually cared, but when it came to making decisions and taking courses of action that would have resulted from actually caring, they did not. And that just felt hypocritical to me. Forever.
When i was 16, so 25 years ago lol, Gillette sent me a razor and a pack of blades through the post for nothing. It was a very good marketing strategy tbf as I continued to buy blades for it for 20 years until I bought myself a safety razor and enough blades to last probably 10 years
The worst gift I’ve ever received once was a some kind of gift certificate to weight watchers. I was pissed off because I actually had been losing weight on my own just fine.
God damn, that just feels like they’ve only gifted it to be passive agressive, did you have a good relationship with the giver at the time?
My big present when I turned 10 was a weedwacker and new chores.
I received a large framed portrait of myself. No mater where I hang that I’m going to look like a narcissist.
I think the one place it wouldn’t make you look like a narcissist, would be in the toilet (where I’m from, the toilet, or at least one toilet, if there are several, is often in a tiny separate room with only the toilet and a small washbasin; idk if that’s a thing where you live).
A $25 gift card to a seafood restaurant. I’m allergic to seafood. The person knew this but “forgot”. I ended up giving it away.
