Set me free,
Why don't you babe?
Get out of my life,
Why don't you babe?
Randomly thinking about a breakup from MANY moons ago. This girl decided to take one of the countless items I had gifted her in the time we were dating and set it on fire. A purification ritual, I suppose? She made a big show of it and posted the photos publicly on social media. Boy, she sure got me back with that one. What I couldn't help but wonder at the time was, 'What about ALL the other stuff I gave you during our time together?' Why only set one thing on fire and not everything else? If the purification was to get rid of the memory of me, then wouldn't it stand to reason to clear out everything I gave you? Or are you really just picking and choosing the things you actually liked and getting rid of the stuff you weren't really fond of at the time and our breakup was the perfect excuse to get rid of the things you didn't care for all along?
The answer seems pretty clear to anyone following along. I just find it funny that people make a big spectacle of getting rid of one or a handful of things when the reality is, you're picking and choosing not only what you want to keep but actively making an effort to retain some things I gave you. Clearly, the things you liked don't bother you as much and you obviously will remember me to a certain extent when you look at whatever it was that is left over.
I'll admit, when I've broken up with someone or even ended a friendship, I'll clear out some things. Photos of us get tossed and yes, I'll throw out some random little knick-knack I may have received. Hah, I think to one time I was gifted a handmade pin/brooch. I wore it the day it was gifted to me but man, it was UGLY. Honestly, I wasn't exactly proud to be wearing it but we were hanging out that day so I kept it on. It was all wonky in size and shape. I think children taking an art lesson in elementary could have made it better than this 30-something woman. But still, I held onto it until we weren't in one another's presence that day. Off it came and oh, darn, I must have dropped it on the way to my car. Drats.
Another time, a former friend and I met up around the holidays and we had an unintended gift exchange. She had just returned from the better part of a year overseas and I gave her a Krampus themed stein. This thing was a beauty and I almost didn't want to give it up. But I gave it to her just the same. In exchange, she gave me a wedge of cheese. I shit you not. Cheddar cheese if you're wondering. At least it's the thought that counts? I guess she had gone to Cheddar, England and visited the caves where the cheeses were first stored to age centuries ago. I assume she picked up a wheel of pre-packaged Cheddar on her way home. Realized we were going to meet up for an impromptu exchange and, "Hey! I've got some cheese in the fridge! Louie loves Cheese, right?" I'm pretty sure she was sincere in giving me the cheese as she never let on that it might have been a joke she was playing on me. Which only makes the whole thing even more disappointing. By contrast, previous trips to the UK, she gave me a tin of shortbread biscuits (cookies) that resembled the famed red phone booths. I still have the tin in my kitchen. Another time, she gave me a keychain of a double-decker bus. I still have that hanging on my keychain organizer right by my front door.
For the most part, if I'm genuinely appreciative of whatever I do receive, I hold onto that sucker. Hell, I've kept birthday and Christmas cards from friends and family for several years now. I don't know if I'd say I'm very sentimental but there are lots of little things that I appreciate. Mom gifted me some beanies for Christmas this past year and it's funny because even though I already have/had a collection of at least 6 other beanies, I've worn a couple of the one's she's given me multiple times since the year started. In fact, some of my profile photos, I'm wearing one or two of them since then. I think back to, God, it must have been at least 15 years ago and my oldest niece had bought me a CD organizer sleeve. The kind that used to mount onto your sun visor in your car. She was so little at the time but she knew how much I loved to play music in my car and that was just something she thought I would appreciate. Which I did. And kept it until I finally traded in that car a few years later. It unfortunately didn't fit the visors in Betty I so it went into a box with a lot of other stuff I'd received over the years and didn't have a use for but didn't want to throw out. That entire box and its contents have been lost over time.
Conversely, I have a knack for gifting the "best" presents or the most random things ever. And I'm pretty proud on both those counts. Stuff people love and hold onto for a long while. I'm currently thinking of a 1-year-old who's become attached to a Minnie Mouse plush I gave her for her birthday and she drags that thing with her everywhere at home, I've been told. I've gifted friends candy filled pinatas, and just today, for another friend who keeps pet chickens I've ordered some 3D printed T-Rex arms so she can accessorize her ladies. I can't wait to see pictures of those when she gets them.
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