I am definitely going to try number 4. Now to find my Festivus pole….

How to celebrate Festivus in 5 easy steps

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/23/living/festivus-5-ways-to-celebrate-trnd/index.html

One event from my past that still rings clear to me today is from my junior year in high school.  I had a friend whom I will call “Cathy” (not her real name).  Cathy was a year older than me and was in the senior class.  She was also from a family much more poor than my own, which was pretty poor, since my family itself was at poverty level.

It was a few days before Christmas break and Cathy and I were sitting in the cafeteria having lunch.  The conversation turned towards Christmas.

“So, what do you think you’re getting?” I asked Cathy, knowing she probably wasn’t going to be getting much.

“Well, I did ask my folks for some oil paints and new brushes.”

Cathy was an untrained artist.  She had never had an art lesson in her life, yet she could draw just about anything freehand.

The next thing I knew I was asking her about her four brothers and what she thought they may get for Christmas.  I made a mental note of everything she told me and jotted it down in my notebook.

When I got home from school that day I was telling my mother about the conversation I had with Cathy and how I felt bad that she and her brothers probably wouldn’t be getting much.

“I’d like to do something for her,” I told my mother.

So off we went to Ames (which was my favorite department store at the time–this was LONG before my area had Walmarts!).  It’s funny because all I can remember purchasing is a bottle of Charlie perfume for Cathy’s mother and some paint brushes for Cathy.  I know we got Cathy’s father and brothers items also but I cannot recall what they were.

Then we set our plan in motion.  All the gifts were wrapped and put into trash bags and decorated the bags with bows.  We threw in some unopened boxes of Kix cereal which we had coming out of our ears, since my mother was a WIC recipient and that was the one cereal WIC recipients were able to get.

My step-father drove me out to Cathy’s house and parked about 1000 feet away from her house.  I lugged the two trash bags up Cathy’s icy driveway.  A dog barked in the distance.  Or maybe it was Roman, their black lab.  I reached the side door of their house and the outside light popped on.  My heart raced as I dropped the bags and booked it out of there, somehow managing to not fall on my ass.

On Christmas morning I got a call from Cathy.  This was not unusual, as we chatted just about every day on the phone.

“Guess what Santa brought?” she said excitedly.

I smiled.  “What?”

“Garbage bags!”

“Huh?”

She then started to laugh.  “Last night I was sitting in my room when all of a sudden Roman started barking his head off.  I looked out the window and saw the light was on near the side door.  So I went to investigate.  And there were these two trash bags.  So I yelled up the stairs ‘Okay, who’s the goober who forgot to go to the dump’?  And then I saw the bows on the trash bags.”

Thank God for the bows!

Cathy then proceeded to tell me about all the gifts that were in the bags.  She then started to cry when she mentioned getting her oil paints and brushes.

“We think it was a good Samaritan from our church,” Cathy said, in trying to guess who the do-gooder was.

“Maybe you’re just not meant to know, Cathy,” I replied.

That June Cathy graduated leaving me behind for one more year of high school.  She went on to attend college at BYU.  We kept in touch for several years but when I graduated and began working and going to college, we eventually lost touch.

But every Christmas I always think of Cathy, the friendship we had and the joy my family and I brought to her and her family one Christmas.

I realize that ebay is considered to be the world’s biggest yard sale.  I understand that many people haggle over prices on there, even when a price is set in stone.  Because it is treated like a yard sale.   I’ve had people ask me if I’d take less than what I’m auctioning an item for.  If that were the case, I’d say so in my listing.  But I’m offering it for a set price.  And that’s that.  I understand many people are looking for a deal.  I get it.  It’s ebay.  But I’m baffled by some buyers on ebay and what they expect from people who are selling used items.

Most of my ebay selling experience has been positive.  I’ve had very little issues.  Then I had the one person who purchased three separate items from me and expected me to combine shipping.  On three items I charged a buck each for (totalling $3.00)?  To ship to FL?  Apparently people are clueless about what shipping costs.  Even if I had sold the items together, I still would’ve charged at least seven dollars for shipping.  Which is what she paid for on all three items combined.

My most recent experience has been with someone who keeps asking me about this blue neon clock I’m selling.  I have multiples of these blue neon clocks.  I actually have MANY different clocks, as we are clearing out my sister’s basement and, lo and behold, she has collected MANY clocks over the years.  Many of them are these cool blue neon clocks.  Which are used.  They are not in the boxes.  They no longer have the plugs that came with them.  You can purchase these clocks new at Walmart for $20.00.  Where do you think I got them from in the first place?  And mind you, I am the original purchaser of most of these clocks.

So I’m selling these clocks on ebay for a whopping $1.00.  Because they are used, not in the box and do not have the plug.  But it’s going to cost me SOMETHING to ship it.  It’s NOT free!  Even if you lived in the same state as myself, it would STILL COST ME SOMETHING TO SHIP IT!!!!  Charging you only a buck for the sale of this clock is nothing.  So if I charge you $10.00 for shipping, when the cost to ship is actually $13.00, you’re STILL MAKING OUT!  I’m losing money on this, and yet I have people asking me what kind of plug it takes, where they can get an adapter, why I don’t have a plug for it and asking me to lower the shipping cost.  My answer is simple:   the clock is used, without a plug and without a box.  If I had a plug and box for it I would auction it off for a hell of a lot more than $1.00 and the shipping would be a hell of a lot more than $10.00.  If you don’t want to purchase the clock from me on ebay, go buy it new at Walmart.  Then you’ll have your goddamn box and adapter and your $20.00 blue neon clock.

One of my favorite events this time of year is the annual Christmas party put on by the day program that my autistic sister attends.

Watching the attendees enjoy themselves by enjoying some good food, good company and holiday music really makes one stop and reflect on the simple things.  Some of these people have never lived life without a wheelchair.  Some have never chewed food.  But whatever their situation, one thing remains the same:  when Santa arrives, everyone gets excited.  And as only Santa could do, he always manages to give the perfect gifts.  Such as the large, stuffed soccer ball my sister received.  Because one of the things she loves is soccer balls.

As I watched each participant get their photo taken with Santa and receive their gifts, I thought how great the simple things in life really are.  A simple smile, a simple song, a simple visit with family, a simple gift.  And these effortless things are never taken for granted by these folks.  And they are very happy.

If we could all live out our days in such a way, we’d be better for it.