A long time ago, I gave the cheapest slinky I found at a nearest game store. On the slinky, I wrote several things about the recipient. Being me, I somehow couldn’t keep it from smearing. However, when I finally gave it as a gift, the recipient was so overcome and said it was the greatest gift ever. He had always loved slinkys but never had one of his own.

I suppose, if it’s something that is still sitting on his bottom shelf today.

Yet what makes a great gift?

One gift in my memory was a platronics headset I got for Christmas more than 6 years ago. It was right at the tip of broadbandness. It was pre-Skype and pre-free-nationwide-distance. To me, it was a symbol of connectivity with the giver.

Of course though, I only used it periodically after that because nationwide distance came to play. I used it as my headphones for the following 2 years and occasionally as a microphone for an online “radio” show. It broke right before I got to Pittsburgh (on my first flight over incidentally).

Then there are the meaningful gifts. The trusts that my parents set up for my sister and me. The moments at lunch or dinner when a friend shoves my credit card and my cash back into my bag and says a loud firm NO to me. Or the simple holding the elevator doors for me when I am rushing into the building.

A recent gift was preceded by a statement: I just want you to you know that I put a lot of effort into finding things even if it doesn’t show. It’s not like I go to my table of random objects and go hmmm…what random object shall I turn into a gift today. I want you to think I did put a little bit of effort into your surprise. At the same time, don’t let your expectations go through the roof. It’s nothing too fancy.

Following by a lol.

But to my surprise, it was a chair. Not just any chair. But the Humanscale Freedom. Specifically, the task chair (not with the headrest). And what’s more, it’s the chair used in 24 at CTU. JACK BAUER USES THIS CHAIR. (When he actually worked in an office that is…)

Now with the 24 ctu ringtone and the chair, all I need is terrorists to fight. And some bit of “You must trust me.” And try not to get sent to Chinese prison.