Ryan & Karyn waiting to see the Late Show in NYC

 

Gift Giving - Needs Not Wants

It is that time again...time to buy all of those gifts for everyone on your list. If you are like me the older I get it seems like the less I buy or maybe my list just contains fewer people, I don't know. Either way, gift giving is actually fun to me. Yes, I said gift GIVING.

Often the gift giver gains more psychologically than does the person receiving the gift. Here is a nice article entitled A Gift That Gives Right Back? The Giving Itself by Tara Parker-Pope that was in the NY Times.

Honestly, I can say that I don’t really care about receiving gifts, and when asked what I would like, I almost always offer up things that I need. Yes a NEED not a want. Now, almost everyone else that I know always says they never want anything needed. They are quick to rattle off a huge list of things that they WANT.

So, this Christmas with the economy in its current state, and my newborn fascination with Green Living, my transition will begin with my Christmas list. I will be giving only items that recipient's need. Much to every one's dismay this does not make gift giving any less fun. Actually, it is more challenging to walk the line of giving someone a needed gift, but not making a statement with a frying pan or vacuum cleaner.

Personally this is not the year for any of us to be greedy, and just so there is no misunderstanding, I can be greedy. I grew up with wish books and other catalogs that were dog eared with items circled or initialed in hopes that I would receive them all, but alas that never happened. Did I suffer, no. I have no BAD Christmas memory.

My intent is to not create any BAD Christmas memory for you, either. So, when you receive my gifts of much needed things that don’t look anything like what you circled in the catalogs or added to wish lists online…please don’t be upset, and remember gifts are for the grateful. You even get to choose the amount of gratitude you pay.

And if nothing really sunk in while you read this blog then at least look at 15 Things Everyone Gets and No One Needs that way you can steer clear of being a bad gift giver, well maybe not a bad gift giver, just a thoughtless one.

Merry Christmas.

For my first real post this will not be anything exciting, but I happened to see an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Arkansas Edition that named a teacher in my part of the state and wanted to pass it along.

Teachers in our school systems have a very challenging job and for these teachers to be finalist for the Teacher of the Year Award they deserve all of our applause.

If you know these teachers thank them. If not thank the next teacher you see.

Introduction

Blogging is something that I am coming to relatively late, but I am here. Being optimistic, I hope that my best posts are somewhat insightful, even if they are from an angle at which many often ignore. All other posts that are less than the best are hopefully at least entertaining. Even though my posts may be from a very acute or obtuse angle they by no means hold any weight in the world. So please don't assume that I as the author believe they are right, wrong or otherwise, and in all cases please comment on the post.

I am adding this note on the title of my blog - Composite Nerve - to answer an anticipated question, what does your meaning of your title? I chose composite nerve to describe my blog and its posts, which will be probably something that gets on my nerves but also leads me to some analysis of the situation. So with my blog title composite nerve - a nerve that is composite of both motor and sensory fibers - these are things that affect me multiple ways.

So, here's to looking forward and sharing my thoughts on whatever strikes me.